We caught up with Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla, to discuss the key themes shaping this year’s Game Developers Conference. He shares insights on the industry’s shift toward sustainable growth, evolving monetization strategies, and how studios can navigate regulation, data challenges, and platform diversification.

What are the biggest themes you expect to see at GDC this year?

At GDC this year, I expect the overarching theme to be disciplined growth. In mobile, especially, the conversation has shifted from scale-at-all-costs to sustainable monetization. We’ll see a focus on strengthening core loops to support higher LTV, smarter live ops, and better segmentation, rather than on aggressive UA spend. Hybrid monetization will be treated as standard practice rather than innovation. There will also be broader discussions around platform diversification, data ownership, and operating efficiently in a privacy-first environment. I think it will be less about hype and more about operational excellence, building resilient revenue systems that can weather market volatility.

How has the focus of GDC shifted over the past few years? 

It’s shifted from big, forward-looking hype cycles to much more grounded, operational conversations. A few years ago, the energy was focused on new platforms like VR, blockchain, and the metaverse, along with rapid user acquisition. Post-IDFA and market corrections, the tone has changed. Now the focus is retention, talent, monetization design, live ops discipline, and profitability. There’s more honesty about margins, platform dependency, and data limitations. It feels less like a future-gazing showcase and more like a working session for an industry recalibrating around sustainable growth. 

How have global regulations influenced video game development and distribution?

Global regulations have started reshaping the way games are developed and distributed more than ever. Regulations such as the Digital Markets Act in Europe and COPPA in the United States have made studios rethink their analytics, targeting, and personalization. Age ratings and content restrictions affect storytelling and market access, sometimes requiring multiple versions of a game to be created for different regions. Even monetization is impacted: regulations on subscription models and loot boxes push developers to design ethically while protecting revenue. Regulations have made operational flexibility and compliance core to planning, not an afterthought.

What advice would you give to studios to maximize the event's potential? 

Studios need to treat it as more than just panels. Go in with clear goals - whether that’s learning monetization strategies, exploring trends, or meeting potential partners - but stay flexible. The real gold is in hallway conversations: casual chats often reveal insights you won’t get in sessions, like how others are balancing ads vs IAP or testing live ops strategies. Schedule meetings, but leave space to wander, ask questions, and share experiences. Go to where companies are located around the city as the event is more than just in the Moscone. Meet with anyone at restaurants, coffee shops, dinner - go to the mixers and meetups being within the community. Take notes, follow up immediately, and don’t be shy about discussing both wins and struggles. Those candid exchanges often spark the best ideas for growth and collaboration.