As details of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) are finalized, such as the agenda, so are details of the awards shows baked into the week-long GDC conference program. The hosts for the 27th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) and the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), both of which take place on March 19, 2025, have been announced.
For the IGF Awards, Emma Kidwell will emcee this awards show.
Emma Kidwell is a writer currently at Firaxis Games and is working on the recently released Sid Meier’s Civilization 7. The game she wrote, Hindsight, was nominated for multiple awards in categories where a piece of media made an impact on a meaningful or societal level. Her credits include Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Borderlands 4 and Life is Strange 2. Today, Kidwell continues to make independent games and posts them to her itch.io page.
For the GDCA ceremony, Alexa Ray Corriea will host. Alexa Ray Corriea is a writer and narrative designer. She is currently working on Marvel’s Black Panther video game in partnership with Marvel Games and Cliffhanger Games. She is a host on the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Game Maker’s Notebook podcast. Her credits include Aztech: Forgotten Gods (2022), single-player and multiplayer stories for Call of Duty: Vanguard and the Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific (2021) live-service game, indie darling Bugsnax (2020), and critically-acclaimed The Lord of the Rings-based Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (2017). She has also published a book about Kingdom Hearts with Boss Fight Books (2017). This is Alexa’s third year speaking at the Game Developers Conference.
To attend the IGF Awards or GDCA events in person, you’ll need a GDC 2025 pass to join in the fun. If interested, explore the available options!
To watch the IGF and GDCA awards ceremony online, visit GDC’s Twitch channel at 6:30PM PST on March 19, 2025 to view the livestream.
