13 Welsh games studios and companies are on the way to the 40th GDC Festival of Gaming – the games industry’s major annual global gathering – in San Francisco, California.
Expected to draw in 30,000 attendees this year, the GDC brings together game developers seeking to attract attention, promotion and support.
Supported by the Welsh Government via Creative Wales and Trade and Invest, an eye-catching Cymru Wales exhibition stand will give the companies a space to offer live demos of their latest projects, meet with major players and grow their networks – forging strong international connections that could potentially become major inward investment opportunities for Wales.
One of the trade mission’s biggest success stories is the Rocket Science Group. The company, which also has bases in New York and Texas, decided to establish its UK base in Wales after connecting with members of the Creative Wales team at the GDC in 2022.
Within 12 months, the Cardiff office had employed 50+ Welsh and Wales-based creatives, allowing the company to add new products and services, and doubling its revenue.
Some of Wales’ finest studios and companies, including Breaking Change, COPA Gaming, Delta V and Dragon Scale Studios are in the delegation this year.
Dragon Scale Studios will also be attending to showcase their latest IP in-development: Snuggly Tails – a story book adventure designed for parent and child co play.
Co-Founder and Studio Director said Jan Pelka said:
“We’re really happy to be heading back to GDC this year! It’s always an incredible opportunity to show off our newest prototype to a wider audience of industry professionals, and to spend time connecting with peers, publishers, and collaborators from across the games industry.
“Trade missions like this are hugely valuable for smaller studios. They help startups access large international events that might otherwise be difficult to attend, and they provide support, visibility, and a strong network while you’re there. The Welsh cohort in particular often becomes a group of close industry friends, and the relationships formed during these trips often are just as valuable as the meetings and conference themselves.
“Events like GDC also give studios like ours a chance to remind people that we’re very much alive, active, and continuing to make cool and mighty things!”
The Games sector is a thriving creative sector in Wales, with some major achievements in recent years including Steam chart success for Wales Interactive’s Sker Ritual and Cardiff-based Sugar Creative’s long-term partnership to create content for Ubisoft.
The UK gaming market was reportedly worth around £7.82 billion in 2023, and an estimated £352 billion globally. To date, Creative Wales has directly supported 77 digital companies including games, animation and immersive tech studios.
Minister for Creative, Jack Sargeant, said:
“This trade mission is an important tool that provides our talented creatives with opportunities to share new IP, build connections, share ideas and build lasting partnerships and reach audiences worldwide that will drive real growth back home.
“We’re making sure our games companies have every opportunity to grow and attract investment and I’m proud that through Creative Wales we can give our games industry the platform it deserves on the global stage.”
