Amazon Web Services GDC 2025 Highlights

Nearly 30,000 attendees were welcomed to the March 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC) at the Moscone Convention Center with an official ribbon cutting by the Mayor of San Francisco. Games industry professionals, executive and enthusiasts visited the Amazon Web Services (Amazon Web Services) for Games GDC booth to witness how the cloud, AI, and real-time streaming are transforming the games industry.

Amazon GameLift Streams, the groundbreaking new capability, enables game streaming directly to players at 1080p and 60 fps without requiring downloads or installations made its debut at GDC. Throughout the show, Amazon Web Services showcased how it empowers customers to deliver breakthrough gaming experiences, offering new ways for developers to build, run, and grow their games.

Amazon Web Services also hosted insightful sessions featuring Epic Games, Netflix Games, Riot Games, Jackbox Games, and more. Amazon Web Services revealed how they unlock new opportunities for game developers large and small.

Image 1: Amazon Web Services team at GDC 2025.

Developers reach new heights with Amazon GameLift Streams

Highlighting the capabilities of Amazon GameLift Streams, Amazon Web Services hosted a session detailing how it is enabling a range of development efficiencies and new business opportunities. Amazon Web Services presented playable ads for Ludeo and powering Xsolla’s game streaming service, to game streaming smart TVs for JackBox Games and a time-saving proof of concept playtesting workflow for Epic Games.

Image 2: GDC 2025 attendees demo Amazon GameLift Streams.

Generative AI takes the spotlight

New generative AI-powered solutions were a draw at the Amazon Web Services booth, including the Miro mood board for character and world design inspiration and AI-driven game ad personalization. Leveraging Amazon Nova, cutting-edge generative AI foundation models, these demonstrations illustrated how developers and studios of all sizes can streamline development, enhance player engagement, and unlock new monetization models.

A standout attraction was the AI-powered Metahuman booth guide, displayed as a life-size holographic avatar using Amazon Nova, which provided real-time information on Amazon Web Services technologies.

Additionally, booth visitors experienced Amazon Web Services for Games technologies across the game development lifecycle. Eight demo stations, staffed by Amazon Web Services experts, highlighted services and solutions for cloud game development, game content creation, backend and infrastructure, and player acquisition, engagement, and monetization. Learn more about the Amazon Web Services for Games GDC 2025 demos.

Image 3: The holographic Amazon Web Services booth guide at GDC 2025.

Connecting with the community

Amazon Web Services played a central role in driving meaningful conversations at GDC 2025, including supporting the annual Celebrating Women in Games panel and networking event—attended by more than 350 people. Joanie Kraut, CEO of Women in Games International (WIGI), led a panel discussion with Justine Higueras (Roblox), Jen MacLean (Dragon Snacks Games), and Sarah Anderson (Amazon Games). The panel celebrated the accomplishments and viewpoints of those promoting diversity and inclusion in the games industry. The Amazon Web Services-sponsored Community Clubhouse also provided a dedicated space for networking and knowledge-sharing, where GDC attendees could engage with industry leaders from Activision, Niantic, EA, and Take-Two.

Image 4: Panelists and Amazon Web Services attendees at the GDC 2025 Celebrating Women in Games networking event.

Industry insights from Amazon Web Services sessions

Amazon Web Services hosted five dynamic speaking sessions, offering an in-depth look into how game developers are using the cloud to develop, publish, and scale their games. Session highlights included:

• Effortless Game Launches: How League of Legends Runs at Scale on Amazon Web Services explored Riot Games’ auto scaling infrastructure and flexible provisioning platform.
• Green Light: Unleashing Squid Game on Amazon GameLift detailed Netflix’s successful launch of a fast-paced mobile game inspired by the hit show.
• Unleash Game Streaming with Amazon GameLift Streams illustrated how Amazon Web Services enables direct-to-player game streaming, with insights from a panel comprising Epic Games, Jackbox Games, Ludeo, and Xsolla.
• Building Games with Unreal Engine Horde on Amazon Web Services showcased Epic’s build automation platform, emphasizing efficiency in large-scale game development.
• How Game Streaming Creates New Opportunities for Jackbox Games highlighted how Amazon GameLift Streams is transforming how players access and interact with Jackbox’s games.

Image 5: Amazon Web Services sessions at GDC 2025.

Parting thoughts

GDC 2025 was a landmark event for Amazon Web Services, with industry leaders showcasing how Amazon Web Services for Games powers the future of game development. Thanks to our customers, partners, and the teams at Amazon Web Services for making this year’s GDC a success!

Visit Amazon Web Services for Games for ongoing updates and insights into the future of gaming technology. Explore the Amazon Web Services for Games blog to learn how developers are using Amazon Web Services to build, run, and grow their experiences.

Amazon Web Services for Games at NAB 2025

If you’re attending the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB Show) in Las Vegas next month, stop by the Amazon Web Services booth (W1701) to check out the latest demos from Amazon Web Services for Games, as well as Amazon Web Services for Media & Entertainment and Amazon Web Services for Sports offerings. Register for a free exhibit hall pass and book a meeting. Find full details on the Amazon Web Services NAB 2025 event page

Jeff Harris

Jeff Harris is the Global Industry Marketing Lead for Games at Amazon Web Services. Jeff drives the marketing strategy for Amazon Web Services for Games services and solutions to help media & entertainment and game development companies accelerate their cloud transformation.

David Holladay

David Holladay is the head of Amazon Web Services for Games Product Marketing.