UX Summit Tabby Rose (UX Director, Mighty Yell Studios) Simply playing a VR game is hindered by a lot of factors: wearing a headset, needing to physically move around, or feeling motion sick. Although players often express this as discomfort, in reality these are accessibility issues, and addressing low mobility, vision loss, hearing loss, and attentional difficulty provides a better experience for every player. This presentation will explore a range of barriers to play that are unique to VR and how they were addressed for the VR title A Knight in the Attic. UX Summit Emilio Jeldrez (Assoc. UX Director for Candy Crush Soda Saga, King) Emilio Jéldrez is at the forefront of making the mobile gaming industry more inclusive. As Assoc. UX Director for Candy Crush Soda Saga, a game that continually raises the bar for accessibility, he will share a behind-the-scenes look at King’s efforts to integrate accessibility. Learn about the collaborative efforts that have led to innovative features in Candy Crush Soda Saga, making it a game that truly everyone can enjoy. Future Realities Summit Colby Morgan (Technical Director, Mighty Coconut) In this session, Colby Morgan, Technical Director at Mighty Coconut, and Jazmin, Senior Accessibility Product Manager at Owlchemy Labs, share their experiences designing and developing accessible VR games. They showcase key accessibility features from Walkabout Mini Golf and Dimensional Double Shift, including customizable player height, one-handed play, visual aids, and motion adjustments. The discussion emphasizes designing with accessibility from day one, integrating user feedback through ongoing playtesting, and overcoming technical challenges to deliver inclusive gameplay experiences. Main conference Remi Boutin (Senior Game Designer, Ubisoft) In this talk, Rémi Boutin presents the philosophy and solutions used to achieve the team’s vision. He will detail how accessibility can be a strength for discovering innovative core concepts, how to provide a challenging game with a deep combat system while making it accessible, and how to plan and develop accessibility without a dedicated team. Main conference Se Jin Kim (Accessibility Specialist, Smilegate) his session, presented by Smilegate in South Korea, will explore the vital role of accessibility in enhancing the quality of gaming. The speaker will discuss the importance of creating inclusive gaming environments that allow players with various disabilities—such as visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments—to enjoy games without barriers. Highlighting Smilegate’s pioneering efforts in South Korea’s gaming industry, it will address the current gaps in developers’ understanding of accessibility and the impact of online gaming’s growth on assistive technologies. Main conference Tara Voelker (Senior Accessibility Producer, Gaming, Netflix, IGDA GASIG Member) During this roundtable, we will discuss ‘Accessibility by Design’ and why this approach is becoming favored across studios, from AAA to indie. We will also investigate how to identify opportunities for incorporating these methods into existing workflows for the betterment of all players, especially disabled gamers. Hosted by the IGDA Game Accessibility SIG, this roundtable is appropriate for all levels (students to experienced developers). Main conference Brannon Zahand (Senior Gaming Accessibility Technical Program Manager, Microsoft) This talk will discuss how designers, testers, and accessibility subject matter experts can utilize red teaming to create inclusive AI experiences in games and gaming services. It will discuss what red teaming is, why it is extra important when it comes to creating accessible and enjoyable experiences for gamers with disabilities, numerous strategies to prevent and catch a myriad of issues that could impact them, and how to engage the gaming and disability community to help you validate such experiences. Main conference Laia Bee (Co-founder, Pincer Games) #1ReasonToBe showcases women from emerging territories across the globe, engaging in candid conversations about game development within their respective and unique point of views. Including Morgan Baker talking about her career in game accessibility. Main conference Aubrey Quinn (Senior Vice President, Entertainment Software Association) Join Entertainment Software Association Senior Vice President Aubrey Quinn, renowned accessibility consultant, speaker and journalist Paul Amadeus Lane and accessibility leaders from five tech and video game companies – Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo of America and Ubisoft – to learn about a new accessibility initiative meant to improve the player experience for more people. Additionally, hear from panel participants about the importance of coming together as a coalition for the benefit of the greater player community. Main conference Eduardo Broseta (Audio Lead, King) This session explores King’s efforts in audio accessibility for mobile games, with a spotlight on the latest advancements in Candy Crush Soda Saga. Attendees will discover the innovative features, collaborative processes and technology integrations that are changing audio standings in the casual mobile gaming industry. By exploring these developments, participants will gain insight into how King is enhancing the game experience for all players, including those with auditory and impairments.
Monday March 17, 1:20 pm – 1:50 pm, Room 2010 West Hall
Monday March 17th, 5:30pm – 6:00pm, Room 2010, West Hall
Tuesday March 18th, 10:50am – 11:50am, Room 2002 West Hall
Jazmin Cano (Senior Accessibility Product Manager, Owlchemy Labs)
Wednesday March 19th, 11:30am – 12:00pm, Room 3004 West Hall
Wednesday March 19th, 2:00pm – 3:00pm, Room 3014 West Hall
Kyoung Jin Lee (D&I Lead, Smilegate)
Wednesday March 19th, 5:00pm – 6:00pm, Room 304 South Hall
Morgan Baker (Game Accessibility Lead, Electronic Arts)
Thursday March 20th, 11:00am – 12:00pm, Room 3005 West Hall
Thursday March 20th, 11:00am – 12:00pm, Room 2002 West Hall
Javiera Sepulveda (QA, Kolibri)
Kate Edwards (CEO/CXO & Cofounder, Geogrify/SetJetters)
Morgan Baker (Game Accessibility Lead, Electronic Arts)
Liana MacKenzie (Owner and Lead Designer, Valorous Games, LLC)
Hanan Makki (Co-Founder, Qindeel Studio)
Thursday March 20th, 12:15pm – 1:15pm, GDC Main Stage, West Hall, Street Level
Paul Amadeus Lane (Accessibility Consultant , Amadeus 4th Corp)
Amy Lazarus ( Director, Player Inclusion, Electronic Arts)
Dara Monasch (Product Manager, Google)
Anna Waismeyer (Senior Accessibility Research Lead, Microsoft/Xbox)
Steven Evans (Senior Technical Program Manager, Nintendo of America)
David Tisserand (Director, Accessibility, Ubisoft)
Thursday March 20th, 2:30pm – 3:00pm, Room 3024 West Hall
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Mar 2025
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Game Accessibility at GDC 2025
There are a number of accessibility related sessions taking place over the course of GDC this year, both at the main conference itself and at the summits. Here’s a handy list! All times are in PST.
