For the first time in years, there are no blockchain gaming talks at GDC is currently attracting attention in the technology world.
Experts believe this development may influence how digital platforms evolve
over the coming years.
The topic has already sparked discussions among developers, analysts,
and industry observers who are closely monitoring how the situation unfolds.
NFTs are out, generative AI is in at this year’s Game Developers Conference—though much of the industry isn’t on board with that, either.
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Not long ago, the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco was liberally sprinkled with ads for blockchain companies and sponsored talks about NFTs. They’ve all left.
Whereas GDC 2023 featured talks such as “So, You Want to Build a Blockchain Game” and “How Polygon Labs Is Optimizing Games for an Emerging Blockchain Future,” I can’t find a single session about that emerging blockchain future on the schedule for GDC 2026, which kicked off Monday and runs through Friday.
The closest thing I found is one talk whose description mentions “digital wallets and alternative payment methods preferred by players in emerging regions,” and I saw a single banner advertising a blockchain-related company in the convention center today, but that’s it so far.
Even all the way back at GDC 2017, there was a talk titled “Embracing Disruption: What Blockchains Mean for the Game Industry,” but there’s nothing like that this year. Disruption was not embraced, it seems.
Meanwhile, generative AI is well-represented at GDC 2026, with Nvidia and Google on the scene and talks coming up this week that include “Experimenting With AI-Powered Assistants in Games,” “AI Trends of Today and Opportunities For Tomorrow,” and “Build Living Games With AI.”
The expo floor, which a few years ago featured some big blockchain booths, will this year be populated by Tripo AI, Arcade AI, Blueberry AI, Gamercury AI, Moonlake AI, Tesana AI, and a number of AI companies that didn’t conveniently put “AI” in their names so that we’d know what they do.
There’s tension between big tech and creative workers here: as reported by a survey published by GDC itself earlier this year, the majority of GDC’s attendees are not on board with generative AI.
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52% of the surveyed games industry professionals said that “generative AI is having a negative impact on the game industry,” while only 7% shared the opposite opinion, that generative AI is good for the industry.
“I’d rather quit the industry than use generative AI,” one UK-based game design supervisor commented.
At GDC 2026, I’ve already met with one generative AI-focused game developer that hopes to alter the conversation by demonstrating that large language models can be made subservient to authored storytelling in ways that players like. More on that to come.
While blockchain gaming has retreated from GDC, it hasn’t gone away. The hosts of the GDC 2023 talks I mentioned, NFT card game Splinterlands and blockchain company Polygon Labs, are still around.
There’s some mainstream support, too. Sony has a Web3 wing called Block Solutions Labs, which created the Soneium blockchain, and EVE Online developer CCP (not the prime example of “mainstream,” I admit) is experimenting with a blockchain-powered game called EVE Frontier.
Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the ’80s and ’90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call “boomer shooters” now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that’s right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he’s focused on the site’s news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.
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Why This Matters
This development highlights the rapid pace of innovation in the technology sector.
Companies are constantly pushing boundaries in order to stay competitive.
Analysts suggest that such changes could influence future product design,
user expectations, and industry standards.
Looking Ahead
As technology continues to evolve, developments like this may shape the next
generation of digital services and consumer experiences.
Industry watchers will continue to monitor how this story develops and what
impact it may have on the broader technology landscape.