It’s that time of year again, the amount of false springs are growing, the allergies are blowing, and it’s time for GDX!
Yes, that’s right! GDX @ KDays is moving ahead, but we need you to fill out your exhibitor form applications ASAP. You can find the application form for your free indie booth here:
Unfortunately, because of the delays in our negotiation process, we will need to know by May 4th if you are interested in exhibiting at GDX @ KDays this year.
In addition, thank you to those who attended the Indie Town Hall on April 2, 2026, it was great to get your direct feedback outside of our post-event survey. If you missed it, do not worry! We’ll be hosting many more sessions over the year after we prep for our next strategic plan which will cover 2027-2037.
10 years ago, our board of directors laid out the plan for 2017-2027 and we’re delighted to have hit most of our crucial milestones, but also realize that we still have a lot of work to do if we want to achieve our goal of Alberta being one of the best places in the world to make games. Stay tuned for session invites!
If you would like to have your own games or news added in this newsletter in the future, please email [email protected] to be included!
GDX 2026 - A Different Road Ahead
In 2026, we are trying something new! Thanks to all the feedback we received from our conference attendees, exhibitors, volunteers, and GDX enjoyers, we are moving forward with some big changes for the 2026 year. Scroll down to view our sign-up form, as our timelines for sign-ups are a little tighter than normal as a result of delays in our recent negotiations with our stakeholders.
Changelog
GDX @ KDays will be a discrete and standalone event in 2026.
We will also be holding a second GDX event early in the winter. Stay tuned for updates!
GDXconf (the conference) is now its own, separate event, and will be held in the fall.
GDXconf will be shifting to be more community-driven with traditional talks, but the addition of “unconference”-style community conversations that can better set us up to change the industry for the better.
Reasons for Changes
Keeping GDX @ KDays Low or No-Cost for Indies
KDays is an incredible opportunity to showcase our collective work to tens of thousands of potential fans. For 2026, we wanted to preserve this opportunity without passing costs onto you.
We are still exploring how GDX @ KDays might be executed in 2027 and beyond.
Community Feedback
Exhibitors were having difficulty attending both the conference and the exhibition. Separating the two provides more opportunity for attendance to both events. We are piloting this new approach in 2026.
GDXconf surfaces thought-provoking discourse about our industry’s problematic structures, and is also an important social gathering space for indies across North America. We wanted to make additional space for unconference conversations that centre the community rather than encourage status quo industry conversations. GDXconf conversations will be community-driven and action-oriented so that we can push for real and genuine change.
Sustainability
Dividing GDX and GDXconf allows us to spread out the work for our largest event offering, saving our team from burnout.
Moving the conference outside of Edmonton’s summer festival season decreases accommodation and travel costs for attendees, making the conference even more affordable.
GDX @ KDays: Sign Up Now!
If you are interested in having a free indie booth, please fill out your exhibitor application ASAP at:
For studios that are interested in supporting the event, please consider signing up for the Grow Together program, as Grow Together funds will be used to rent televisions for as many booths as possible during the event. While donations are not expected, if you want to help the community out AND have the capacity to donate, please indicate that you will be participating in Grow Together in your exhibitor application. If you have further questions about this program, please feel free to email us at [email protected] with the subject line: “Grow Together Program Inquiry”. If you are not looking to exhibit at GDX @ KDays this year, but want to support the community, you can also donate via our Zeffy link here.
GDXconf: Dates to be Announced
Stay tuned for an updated conference date and make sure to watch our socials for announcements and sign up for our Discord to hear about our new dates as soon as possible.
What does the future of GDX look like?
Now that we’ve told you about the changes, you might be interested in what comes next. For us, it’s simple: since GDX was created over ten years ago, we have remained committed to providing free space for indies to showcase games. Our commitment to growing indie capacity in the community remains steadfast.
However, because of this commitment, we are running into increasing pressures from partners who believe GDX should be more heavily monetized. Despite these pressures, we understand the current state of the games industry; we are not willing to put this burden on the community at this time. GDX exists because of our collective community spirit, and as a result, there are some compromises that the IAA team and board are not willing to make in order to maintain the integrity and purpose of the event.
We will continue our conversations with our stakeholders and continue to find ways that GDX can remain affordable and edifying for indies everywhere. Consequently, we are committed to providing exceptional conference and exhibition experiences, annually, although we be attempting more experimental and more community-driven efforts.
How to Connect With Us
Discord
By popular demand, the GDX discord is now accepting application for members to join. In the past, the server has been dedicated to running GDX, but has expanded to include industry conversations such as supporting CMF applications, and providing feedback on ongoing projects.
If you are a game developer, please feel free to connect with the community we are building on Discord and submit your information to be accepted into the server.
The sign up link is here: https://discord.gg/psBvabym.
Social Media
Thank you for checking out the IAA newsletter and we hope to see you at the next event!
Warm regards,
Madison and IAA Team