Press Release 28.11.2024

GDS Prague 2024 is Approaching! Nearly 100 Speakers Announced, Including Big International Names Like Mike Morasky, Glen Schofield, Kate Edwards, and Jon Shafer

Prague, November 28, 2024

The Game Developers Session combines a game development conference with an educational event aimed at high school and university students, as well as the general public. It is the oldest Central European conference dedicated to game development, gaming technologies, business, and marketing. This year, it will host nearly 100 speakers and more than 70 indie teams. In addition to international speakers, prominent local figures like Viktor Bocan, Dan Vávra, Jarek Kolář, and Marek Rosa will also participate. Attendees can also look forward to a significantly expanded indie developers' festival and two summits on artificial intelligence and gaming law. The conference will take place from December 13 to 14.

"I am thrilled to announce more big names for the upcoming conference. Among the international guests are Mike Morasky, Jon Shafer, as well as previously announced Glen Schofield and Kate Edwards. Many Czech speakers will also join, including Jarek Kolář, Marek Rosa, Viktor Bocan, and, as always, Dan Vávra," says Pavel Barák, director of the GDS conference.

Video game fans will have the chance to return to the ice- and snow-covered world with representatives of 11 bit Studios – creators of Frostpunk 2. Additionally, representatives of Larian Studios will discuss the popular Baldur's Gate 3, GSC will present S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, and the original writer of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 1 will also appear.

The event will feature a packed program across six tracks of lectures and workshops by experts from leading game studios worldwide. In addition to presentations by established Czech studios like Hangar 13, Giants Software, and Flying Rat Studio, more than 70 projects by independent game developers from the Czech Republic and across Europe will be showcased. Visitors will be able to try these projects firsthand. They will also be presented to investors and publishers, evaluated by an expert jury, and the best will be awarded in the GDS Indie Games Expo Awards. GDS Prague is thus becoming one of the largest festivals of independent game development in Europe, serving as a platform for education, networking, and showcasing the work of game developers.

"Visitors will have the opportunity to try the popular video game Kingdom Come Deliverance II on a larger number of PCs with a 20-minute playable demo. Representatives of Warhorse Studios, the game's developers, will also be on-site for discussions. In collaboration with the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Charles University, we are also preparing a tournament in GSport, combining traditional sports and gaming. GDS will also be featured online with a special event on the Steam platform, on the website, and through livestreams of games showcased at the conference," summarizes Pavel Barák, director of GDS.

For more information, including ticket sales: https://gdsprague.com/

More About the Conference’s Headliners:

Mike Morasky is an American composer, animator, visual artist, director, and programmer. He is best known for his work at Valve Corporation, where he composed music for games like Portal 2, Team Fortress 2, and Left 4 Dead. He is also known for his visual effects work on The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix trilogy.

Glen Schofield is an American video game artist, designer, director, and producer. He was formerly the vice president and general manager at Visceral Games. He is a co-founder of Sledgehammer Games, founder of Striking Distance Studios, and the creator and executive producer of the survival horror game Dead Space.

Jon Shafer is an American game designer and programmer. He was the lead designer of the strategy game Civilization V developed by Firaxis. He is the president of Conifer Games, a video game development studio whose first title is At the Gates.

Kate Edwards is a geographer, writer, and expert in content culturalization, focusing on cartography and video game content. She served as the executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA).

Viktor Bocan is a game designer known for making the medieval world of Kingdom Come as authentic as possible.

Daniel Vávra is a Czech video game designer, writer, and director, as well as the co-founder and creative director of Warhorse Studios.

Jaroslav "Jarek" Kolář is a Czech game developer and co-founder of the now-defunct Pterodon studio, which merged with 2K Czech and contributed to Mafia II and Mafia III. Since 2015, he has worked at Bohemia Interactive Studio (Arma, Operation Flashpoint).

Marek Rosa is a Slovak programmer, game developer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO and founder of Keen Software House, known for Space Engineers and Medieval Engineers. He is also the founder and technical director of GoodAI, a company focused on developing general artificial intelligence.

The main highlight of Friday, December 13, will be the press conference by the Czech Game Developers Association, presenting the latest study on the state of the gaming industry in the Czech Republic.

Press kit:

Media kit for 2024: https://gdsprague.com/dl/GDS2024_MediaKit.zip
Video from 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKmq1fFLhDE
Photos from 2023: https://gdsprague.com/index.php?action=photos

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GameDevSession
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GameDevSession
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gamedevsession
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameDevSession
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/game-developers-session
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GameDevelopersSession
Discord: https://discord.gdsprague.com

Organizers:

Eventia s.r.o.

Eventia s.r.o. is a production and promotion company specializing in professional events in the gaming industry. Its main focus is the Game Developers Session, the oldest Central European conference for game developers, which it organizes annually, building the tradition and significance of this international event.

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Active Radio a.s.

Active Radio a.s. is a multimedia group owning radio stations such as Evropa 2, Frekvence 1, Rádio Bonton, Rádio Dance, Youradio, and Youradio Talk. It also owns the children’s project Pigy. The company operates several online media outlets, streaming audio services, social media fan groups, and organizes events. Its NoLimits division hosts events for over 100,000 people annually. Since 2018, it has been part of the Czech Media Invest holding company.

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