Informa Tech, the organizer of the annual Game Developers Conference dedicated to the art and science of making video games, revealed Wednesday that GDC 2021 will be held as a hybrid physical and virtual event.

The event, which is debuting this new format as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic making in-person meetings challenging, will take place online and at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from July 19-23 with a choice of attendance options.

Prior to the hybrid event, there will be a GDC community celebration from March 1-5, 2020, including behind-the-scenes lectures on popular recent games from the recent year, interactive content, talks and other sessions.

Separately, a slate of day-long and multi-day master classes on game development craft will be announced in the next few weeks to take place as virtual workshops in the remaining months of 2020.

6 with over 9,700 registrants and featured educational and technical information on the art, craft and business of game development, as well as relevant responses to the COVID-19 pandemic