The Game Devs of Color Expo 2025 kicks off next week, and for its 10th year running annually, the online conference returns as a celebration of the games industry’s developers of colour, while promoting upcoming titles through a showcase and the four-day-long event.
Starting next week, the Game Devs of Color Expo 2025 will kick off with a showcase promoting some of the more hidden gems in Indie Development. The GDoC 2025 kick-off show has been home to some of the more beloved titles to land on the indie landscape, such as Palia (and its updates), free-to-play titles like Delta Force (and its updates), and even rolling out the red carpet for existing indie games like Ara: History Untold (which even featured gameplay revealed at gamescom 2023). It’s safe to say the GDoC Expo 2025 is a big deal, and it starts next week, and its full schedule has been revealed.
Aside from returning to its online format, in‑person watch parties are returning this year in New York City, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Poughkeepsie, Portland, and more! So, fans who are located in any of these areas while the Expo is running its online program can visit the official Watch Party page here for more details on how to attend an in-person event.
The Game Devs of Colour Expo 2025 is returning for its 10th year from September 16 to September 19. The online conference both celebrates the gaming industry’s developers of colour, and acts as a showcase for new, upcoming games through its companion GDoCExpo Direct showcase. The GDoCExpo 2025 showcase is set to land on September 16 at 4 p.m. EDT and will be live broadcast from the official GDoCExpo YouTube channel.
Although watching the kickoff direct showcase is free, there are ticketed events on the agenda that fans can choose (or skip) to attend that highlight some of the crucial devs a part of the event, and these require a ticket. While some events are ticketed, they give deeper insight into game development. For example, there’s an AMA event with No More Robots, so fans of that particular publisher can unload their questions in hopes the bigwigs at No More Robots themselves will answer.
Speaking of, thanks to the support of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and No More Robots, the Game Devs of Color Expo 2025 will award three $7,000 no‑strings development grants to creators of colour. The recipients of the grants will be awarded on September 19 and it’s worth noting that since 2019, the GDoCExpo has awarded a total of $405,000 in grants to game creators of colour.
Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinney Kaufman, said, “We are proud to continue our partnership with the Game Devs of Color Expo this year, on its 10th anniversary! We will not only be presenting ‘Made in NY’ grants to up and coming game developers, but also supporting the expo’s viewing party – a gathering of NYC’s digital game community,” adding that the GDoCExpo continues to uplift and expand NYC’s digital games industry, making games accessible for everyone.
Tickets for the GDoCExpo 2025 are on sale now, with under-privileged need‑based tickets available by applying through this form (if accepted, fans can attend the ticketed events for free). The Game Devs of Color Expo 2025 kicks off with the Direct showcase on September 16 at 4 p.m. ET, featuring 30+ new game announcements from creators of colour, and the event will run until September 19.
