Gen Con Draws Over 50,000 Attendees in a Return to Pre-Pandemic Scale
Gen Con returned to Indianapolis this August 4-7, attracting a unique attendance of over 50,000 gaming fans to the Indiana Convention Center (ICC) and Lucas Oil Stadium for four days of playing games, shopping in the exhibit hall, cosplaying, enjoying local food and beverages, and connecting with fans from Indianapolis and around the world.
Gen Con Indy 2022, which marked the 55th running of the convention since its founding in 1968, generated an estimated $57.4 million in economic activity for restaurants, hotels, and other local businesses in Indianapolis.
The convention’s exhibit hall featured more than 530 game publishers and vendors. Publishers released more than 500 new game titles during the convention. More than 15,000 ticketed events were held over the four days, ranging from board games, card games, roleplaying games, comedy, music, seminars, the Costume Contest, Film Festival, and more.
All participants were required to show proof of vaccination to attend and to wear masks while inside Gen Con-controlled spaces.
Concurrently with the in-person convention, an additional 900 virtual games and events were held through the convention’s Gen Con Online program, and over 50 hours of live video was streamed on the convention’s Twitch channels.
Gen Con Indy 2022’s official charity partner was the Patachou Foundation, a nonprofit which serves meals and learning experiences for children to increase their awareness of and excitement about food and fight the root causes of hunger in the community. Nearly $40,000 was raised over the weekend for the Patachou Foundation through multiple charity events.
Gen Con will return to Indianapolis August 3-6, 2023.
