Fanfiction and reality TV spark ideas for narrative designers at GDC

At the Game Developers Conference 2026, narrative designers said inspiration is everywhere: in the breeze, in empathy, and especially in the crazed yuri you've been urgently writing in your Notes app.

Gearbox expert writer and former Call of Duty writer Alexa Ray Corriea drew laughter and applause when she admitted, "I've been reading a lot of fanfiction." "People are very thirsty these days," she added, "so I've been doing a lot of… research into that."

Asked where to learn about drama, she pointed to reality TV: "You want to learn about drama? You know what, Love is Blind," the surely unscientific Netflix "experiment" where contestants, sequestered in windowless pods, agree to get married before seeing each other's faces. "I'm sad I missed the reunion, but I'm so excited to have that be a gift when I get home." Ah, a gift. There's no better way to describe romance — a well of inspiration that only runs dry when you do.

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