GDC 2023 was full of sexism, drink spiking, and abuse towards women

Multiple women have stated they were harassed at this year's event.

For the first time in four years, people were once again allowed to physically attend GDC. However, this year's event has sparked a conversation around the safety of women in the gaming industry following multiple reports of drink spiking and abuse.

GDC has faced similar accusations in previous years, and it is disappointing to see the same results come about at an event many were looking forward to. Guy Blomberg, who works with games industry events, said "we've been informed of multiple folks that were roofied last Thursday night in SF, most probably at the karaoke event we hosted. Thankfully they had friends who looked after them and they're ok all things considered. I'm so very sorry they had to go through such a horrifying experience, it's absolutely not their fault, and we're already in the process of tracking down the fucking scumbag who did this."

Game developer Leena van Deventer said on Twitter that "women at GDC this year have been belittled and undermined in their roles, been hit on relentlessly, and had their drinks spiked by predatory men."

In a time where companies such as Activision Blizzard and Bungie are working to better themselves following reports of workplace harassment, it's a shame that we have to see such backwards attitudes and horrible actions taken up by men in the industry.

What do you think of this?