Gen Con 2025 breaks attendance records again
If you feel like Gen Con 2025 was crowded you are right as the convention breaks its own attendance record again:
Gen Con, the largest and longest-running tabletop gaming convention in North America, packed the halls of the Indiana Convention Center this week with nearly 72,000 gamers and fans, setting an all-time attendance record and generating an estimated economic impact of more than $82 million for Indianapolis hotels, restaurants, and other local businesses.
“With the entire Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium packed with global exhibitors and attendees, this year’s Gen Con generated more than $82 million in economic impact,” said Chris Gahl, Executive Vice President, and Chief Marketing Officer for Visit Indy. “This past week, we were proud to give Gen Con executives a hard-hat tour of the expanding convention center and new Signia hotel, projects giving the event continued future growth.”
Held each year since 1968, Gen Con gathers fans of board games, card games, roleplaying games, cosplay, and pop culture to play, shop, celebrate, and connect over a shared passion for gaming.
During the four days of the convention, attendees browsed and shopped an exhibit hall featuring over 575 game publishers and vendors and participated in nearly 30,000 events and activities, including a wide range of gaming sessions and tournaments, artist and author appearances, film screenings, musical performances, and the annual Gen Con Costume Contest.
“Gen Con 2025 was another record-breaking year, and we are grateful for the incredible support of Indianapolis,” said Gen Con President David Hoppe. “The warm and welcoming atmosphere created when the tabletop gaming community meets Hoosier hospitality is essential to making The Best Four Days in Gaming™ come to life each summer.”
Attendees also flocked to Gen Con’s outdoor Block Party activation on South Street. This outdoor, open-to-the-public festival featured dozens of local food trucks alongside Gen Con’s local food and beverage partners Sun King Brewery, HotBox Pizza, Daniel’s Vineyard, Helm Coffee, Social Cantina, and Harry & Izzy’s.
Gen Con partners with charities each year to raise funds and spotlight the work of the selected nonprofit organizations. This year, attendees helped raise nearly $40,000 for Women4Change Indiana and Brown Toy Box Foundation. Gen Con has raised almost $500,000 for charity since 2003.
Gen Con will return to Indianapolis from July 30 to August 2, 2026, and is contracted to take place there annually through 2030. Badges for next year’s convention will go on sale in early 2026 on the convention’s website (gencon.com).
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