Game Devs of Color Expo (GDoCExpo), a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying the creative power held by people of color in games, announced today that the next event will be held online from September 27-30. This year’s Wednesday-Saturday format is a shift from previous events, making it more accessible for professionals.
The 8th annual event connects experienced gaming professionals and indie developers from across the world to hone their skills together in a uniquely collaborative event. One constant throughout the GDoCExpo experience is its focus on community and networking. There’s a feeling of camaraderie and openness in the expo and during breakout conversations that is rare to find in other industry events.
GDoCExpo is also opening submissions for people within the games industry who would like to share their insights, experiences, and games with the community. The organization is now accepting panel and speaker submissions, and developers are also able to submit their games for event consideration starting today. All speakers are paid, and there are no submission or exhibition fees for developers. All selected speakers and games are automatically entered into consideration for one of the GDoCExpo’s grants. Last year, the organization awarded $105,000 in no-strings grants. Since 2019, they have distributed a total of more than $360,000 to game creators of color.
“Our event is part of a larger effort to build lengthy and sustainable careers for people of color who make games,” says Catt Small, GDoCExpo co-founder, and co-organizer. “We’re excited to continue having real conversations about the industry while highlighting cutting-edge work by our community. Attendees will leave the expo feeling connected, invigorated, and hopeful about the future of games.”
Last year’s Expo included 79 speakers across 52 panels, talks, and game dev interviews. Gradient Convergence, its curated Steam showcase, and sale highlighted more than 70 games from unique voices across the industry, reaching hundreds of thousands of visitors.
