Scopely at GDC Final Recap: Looking back on a week of discussions, mixers and connection

GDC ‘26 is officially in the books!

As always, the week brought together developers, creators and leaders from across the industry for a series of thoughtful discussions and forward-looking ideas shaping the future of games. From technical deep dives to casual conversations, the week was filled with valuable insights, laughter and meaningful connections.

Here were a few events in which Scopely took part toward the end of the week:

Scopely co-hosts Women in Games brunch with Fenwick and Griffin Gaming
During GDC week, we were proud to continue supporting the Women in Games brunch alongside Fenwick and Griffin Gaming.

The annual gathering celebrates and uplifts female leaders across the industry, creating a welcoming space for connection, conversation, and community while highlighting the incredible impact women continue to make in games.

Discussion: 'Pokémon GO’ Gigantamax Battles: Designing a Scalable Battle System
One late-week standout session was “‘Pokémon GO’ Gigantamax Battles: Designing a Scalable Battle System,” hosted by Ben Li, Staff Software Engineer at Scopely. The talk explored how the team innovated Pokémon GO’s battle architecture while the live service continued running globally. To support Pokémon GO's new Gigantamax Battles mode — large-scale encounters involving thousands of players — the team focused on improved synchronization, state management and scalability.

Turning accessibility into practice
Another standout session explored how studios can embed accessibility directly into their development processes. “Getting the Ball Rolling: Advancing Game Accessibility Through Interactive Workshops,” co-hosted by Cari Watterson, Accessibility Designer at Scopely, provided practical tools for teams looking to start accessibility initiatives.

The two-part workshop began with Inclusive Design Foundations, introducing core accessibility principles through presentations, Q&A, and small-group discussions. The afternoon session shifted to hands-on planning, guiding participants through a worksheet to design their own accessibility workshops—covering goals, structure, delivery, and integration into studio workflows.

ICYMI
Missed anything from the week? Catch up with some of the links below.

Co-CEOs Walter Driver and Javier Ferreira sat down with GamesBeat’s Dean Takahashi for a wide-ranging discussion about how we got here and where we’re headed next:

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