GDC responds to Trump's travel ban, refunds affected attendees
Organisers of upcoming developer conference says they are “horrified” by President's decision
The team behind the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco has declared its opposition to the executive order on immigration passed by President Trump.
The president has ordered a 90-day ban to anyone attempting to enter the United States from seven countries - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - all of which are predominantly Muslim. It is a move that has been met with widespread disapproval.
The official GDC Twitter account has responded, promising reimbursement for anyone now unable to attend the conference, which takes place in less than a month.
GDC's decision has mostly been met with praise and approval, with support from some of the most prominent games developers. Former Playstation exec, indie champion and independent developer Shahid Ahmad has decided not to attend:
Meanwhile, Vlambeer co-founder Rami Ismael has pledged his company's revenues towards opposing the ban:
Polygon reports that International Game Developers Association notes that only two of its 8,000 members is affected by this ban and is unable to attend the trade body's annual meeting at GDC.
But executive director Kate Edwards added: "The issue isn't necessarily the affect on these specific countries but on the general spread of xenophobia in the U.S. government and how it will certainly affect the U.S.'s ability to hire talent and remain globally competitive."