SAGA Barcelona Game Fest will hold its inaugural edition from October 9 to 11 at Fira Barcelona Montjuïc venue, featuring a lineup that combines the presence of major international companies and leading creative talent with an extensive professional program designed to generate new business, funding and collaboration opportunities for the video game industry.
Japan will be the event’s guest country, reinforcing its international scope across various areas. A key highlight will be the presence of Nintendo, which will host an official booth to showcase its latest releases to the attendees.
The Japanese presence will also feature a significant cultural component, with the participation of Miki Higashino and Manami Matsumae, two composers who have played pivotal roles in video game history. Higashino is renowned for her work on Konami soundtracks such as Suikoden, Gradius, and the early Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles titles, while Matsumae created the original music for Capcom’s Mega Man and Final Fight and later collaborated on titles like Shovel Knight. Both composers will take part in interviews and meet-and-greet sessions during the festival.
A professional zone featuring 29 publishers and a strong international presence
A key feature of SAGA Barcelona Game Fest will be its professional zone, bringing together 29 publishers—22 of them international—thereby ensuring broad representation from various markets within the global industry.
The participating international companies hail from countries such as Japan, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, among others. The lineup includes companies such as 11 bit studios, Bandai, Bandai Namco, Bright Gambit, Curve Games, Devolver Digital, Fireshine Games, Focus Entertainment, Forklift, Funcom, Game Dev Fund, Green Man Gaming, Joystick Ventures, Kepler Interactive, Marvelous!, Maximum Entertainment, New Tales, Serenity Forge, Super Rare Games, The Yogscast, Untold Tales, and WINGS Interactive.
This lineup is rounded out by seven Spanish publishers: Entalto Publishing, Erebor, Hidden Trap, JanduSoft, Kando Factory, Meridiem Games, and Tesura Games.
This mix will enable participating studios to connect directly with publishers from diverse markets and backgrounds, creating opportunities for project publishing, financing, distribution, and international expansion. International companies account for over 75% of the participating publishers, marking a cornerstone of SAGA’s commitment to linking the Spanish ecosystem with the global industry.
MeetToMatch and 1500 Business Meetings
The event’s professional networking will be powered by MeetToMatch, an international platform facilitating 1-on-1 meetings between developers, publishers, investors, and distributors. With nearly 400 participants and 350 meetings already booked, the goal is to reach 1,500 business sessions across the three-day event to drive international deals and partnerships.
Larian Games, Funding, and Independent Development
SAGA Barcelona Game Fest focuses on emerging development through “Mentorships for the future”, a program sponsored by Larian Games pairing indie teams with experienced mentors. Additional highlights include pitch and investment sessions coordinated with Madrid In Game, funding support from WINGS Interactive for women-led projects, and the IndieDevDay Awards recognizing excellence in art, design, narrative, and tech.
Japan and New Perspectives in Gaming Culture
Beyond Nintendo and composers Miki Higashino and Manami Matsumae, the cultural program features Tokyo’s My Famicase Exhibition with 250 artist-illustrated cartridges, interactive installations from the Glitch Collection, and live entertainment like a musical performance by Elesky and a soundtrack trivia contest.
Barcelona as a Meeting Point for the Global Industry
Networking extends beyond Fira Barcelona through off-site events, including a Scopely-hosted gathering, a Devolver Digital meetup, an ICEX women in gaming cocktail session, and an after-party co-hosted by Brainwash Gang and Raw Fury to connect international delegates with the local ecosystem.
14,000 m² Dedicated to Gaming and Entertainment
Spanning Fira Barcelona Montjuïc, the public area offers over 200 indie games, 150 retro arcades, esports tournaments, VR experiences, and simulators, positioning SAGA Barcelona Game Fest as a major bridge between the Spanish gaming ecosystem and the global industry.