GDC Festival of Gaming runs March 1 to 5, 2027 at the Moscone Center, 747 Howard St, San Francisco. Career Day lands on the Friday, March 5, in West Hall.
Three parts of the Friday
The Career Faire puts attendees in front of recruiters and hiring managers from game studios and adjacent industries. Portfolio and Resume Review gives feedback on a resume, a portfolio and a LinkedIn profile. Career Development Sessions take in talks, panels, office hours and workshops on job search strategy and career planning.
The organiser builds the day for six groups: students and new graduates, early-career developers, experienced professionals exploring new roles, developers affected by layoffs, freelancers and contractors, and professionals returning to the industry. Its own line reads: "Just like the game industry, the career landscape has evolved and so has the way professionals connect with opportunities."
Participants and speakers are unpublished. The Career Day page carries a "Stay Tuned" line where a roster would sit. A hotel that wants to interview candidates that week books its slots without a speaker list.
The pass that opens the door
A 1-Day Career pass carries $125 at the Early Rate and covers Friday only. It takes in the Career Faire, the career-focused sessions and the Business Hall lobby. It leaves out the Festival Hall, the main programme, meeting spaces and GDC Nights.
Career Day entry also comes with the Festival pass at $549, Game Changer at $1,249, the Indie or Start-Up pass at $299 and the Academic pass at $299. The Festival Hall Only pass at $175 and the Business Hall Only pass at $125 carry no Career Day entry.
The Early Rate closes December 11 at 11:59pm PT, 80 days before the Monday opening.
Friday on the hotel calendar
The badge desk in South Hall runs 8:30am to 3:00pm on Friday 5 March, against 7:30am to 8:00pm on Monday 1 March. The entrance is Howard Street, Street Level.
Five festival days run Monday to Friday. A delegate who collects a badge ahead of the Monday 7:30am opening needs the Sunday night. The Friday 3:00pm badge-desk close sets the departure window. Those two clocks give a six-night working stay, Sunday 28 February to Saturday 6 March.
The single-day pass adds a shorter pattern. A 1-Day Career holder needs the Thursday night and leaves on the Friday, so Thursday carries the single-day pickup.
GDC names onPeak as its housing partner. The FAQ says the 2027 blocks open soon, and publishes no rate, no cut-off date and no property list. A party needing 12 or more rooms signs a sub-block agreement through GDC@onpeaksupport.com.
GDC publishes that several partner hotels sit within walking distance of Moscone. Moscone carries no on-site parking. BART stops at Powell Street and Montgomery Street, two blocks from the building, and Muni Metro serves the Yerba Buena/Moscone stop across the street.
A rota set from published dates
Four dates are fixed and can go into a staffing calendar today. The Early Rate closes 11 December 2026. The programme publishes session dates and times in December 2026. The event app publishes in January 2027. Registration changes, cancellations, upgrades and downgrades close 5 February 2027.
The February date carries money. A pass cancellation costs $250. A Festival Hall Only, Business Hall Only or 1-Day Career cancellation costs $75. The cancellation fee stays non-refundable, and the FAQ excludes refunds for no-shows.
Three moves follow from the published clocks. Set the week's front-desk and housekeeping rota before the Sunday 28 February arrival night. Hold interviews outside the 8:30am to 3:00pm badge window on Friday 5 March, when South Hall takes the week's last arrivals. Send block enquiries to onPeak when the 2027 hotels open, and quote the organiser's warning about third-party sellers to any delegate who asks.
Two items stay unpublished at this read. The organiser gives no Career Day hours and no session times until the programme lands in December 2026. The housing block gives no rate, no cut-off and no property list.
The week's shape is fixed. The Career Faire fills West Hall on the Friday and the badge desk shuts at 3:00pm.