GDC Festival of Gaming is part of the Informa Festivals Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

March 9-13, 2026
Moscone CenterSan Francisco, CA

Agenda

Backed by Data, Built with Care: Telling Authentic LGBTQ Stories in Video Games

Sabrina Mah  (Program Consultant, Gaming, GLAAD)
Blair Durkee  (Associate Director of Gaming, GLAAD)
Location: Room 3002, West Hall
Date: Wednesday, March 11
Time: 4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Pass Type: Festival Pass, Game Changer Pass - Get your pass now!
Audience Level: All
Track: Culture & Sustainability
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: Video
Audience Level: All

Developers across the industry are interested in creating more authentic LGBTQ characters and storylines, but how do they start to do that, and do it well? Who exactly are they making this content for, anyway – and how do players benefit?

Join the GLAAD Gaming team as they answer these questions, provide key insights into the LGBTQ player and market, and dive into proven best practices for development of LGBTQ content. The team will feature data from their 2024 GLAAD Gaming report, created in partnership with Nielsen, and will detail tested strategies utilized in their work consulting on LGBTQ characters across various titles, including Apex Legends, The Sims 4, and Tell Me Why.

Takeaway

Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of LGBTQ players, the impact authentic development has from both a business and social impact lens, and actionable strategies to utilize for development of LGBTQ content inside their studios.

Intended Audience

This talk will benefit any attendee interested in creating more authentic LGBTQ characters, or understanding business and social data insights related to LGBTQ audiences. The development strategies provided are most actionable by Narrative, Production, Design, Character Art, and VO-related disciplines.