The SAGA Barcelona Game Fest kicks off, a fusion to give the Catalan video game sector the fair it deserves

The video game sector in Catalonia has been demonstrating extraordinary vitality for years, but a large, unified, and ambitious showcase matching its industrial and creative weight was missing. The SAGA Barcelona Game Fest aims to fill this void and is born from the strategic merger of the three benchmark events in the territory: IndieDevDay (rebranded as BCN Game Fest and promoted by the ICOA), which provides professional muscle and the developer community; SAGA, Gaming Salon (organized by Plataforma per la Llengua), which focuses on linguistic normalization within the sector, and the cultural association RetroBarcelona, which acts as the protector and promoter of video game history and heritage.

This union of efforts leaves behind La Farga in L'Hospitalet for good to move to a space the size of its grand objective. The chosen site is Pavilion 1 of the Montjuïc venue of Fira de Barcelona, with a surface area of 14,000 m², to deploy the extensive program of activities and at the same time have a more accessible location closer to the center of the Catalan capital. It is a space to start showing its face and compete in the league of the major European trade fairs in the sector.

As a symbol of this new stage, the renowned artist Conrad Roset (creative director of Nomada Studio and author of global hits like Gris and Neva) has been in charge of designing the new visual identity and the official poster, where the richness and diversity of the medium are synthesized. With an expected attendance of more than 20,000 visitors, the fair has strong institutional support led by the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Barcelona City Council, and the Ministry of Culture, as well as other sponsors that have made the birth of this mega-event possible.

The fair's spokesperson, Tina Font, highlights "the desire to offer an open, inclusive, and accessible space for everyone, which overcomes traditional stigmas and demonstrates that video game culture appeals to people of all ages and profiles". To try to understand the magnitude and variety of its offering, the proposal of the SAGA Barcelona Game Fest can be segmented into large thematic blocks: language, international projection, the professional industry, cultural heritage, and, as an indispensable engine, the presence of the video games themselves.

Language at the center

Catalan is reclaimed as a natural environment for play and community

Catalan will be the official and transversal language of the event, present with full normality in signage, conferences, broadcasts, and gaming spaces. This commitment responds to an indisputable social reality, since according to a survey commissioned by Plataforma per la Llengua to GESOP, 7 out of 10 players in Catalonia (70%) would choose to play in Catalan if the option were available, a figure that rises to 86.7% among the Catalan-speaking population.

To respond to this demand, the venue will feature about 70 playable video games in Catalan and prominent spaces such as the institutional stand “Catalonia plays strong: creativity, talent and community”, promoted by the Generalitat. In this sense, the Director General of Language Policy in the Technological and Audiovisual Fields, Roger Serra, predicts that the SAGA Barcelona Game Fest “will be the benchmark video game fair in southern Europe and at the same time the meeting point for Catalan-speaking communities in the ecosystem”.

Projection and guests

Japan leads an open window to global talent

The international projection doubles the bet and designates Japan as the guest country in this first edition, a key territory within the history of the medium. The alliance stands out above all for the visit of two legendary figures of video game music: composers Miki Higashino (author of the soundtracks for the Suikoden or Gradius saga for Konami) and Manami Matsumae (Mega Man or Final fight, for Capcom).

In addition to featuring the presence of delegations from other countries and a content exchange with the Asian fair ChinaJoy, the program includes keynote speeches by international leaders such as Rami Ismail (Vlambeer, Gamedev.world), Laura Topakian (marketing specialist at Panik Arcade and Motion Twin), Rachel Watts (contributor to media such as Rock Paper Shotgun or PC Gamer) and Géraud Zucchini (Sol Cesto). A Catalan fair with a window open to the world.

The industrial muscle

Business, financing opportunities and future talent pool

The fair does not forget the industry; in fact, it strengthens it even more. The B2B pillar (from the English business-to-business, from business to business) will be conducted through the MeetToMatch platform, with which it is expected to exceed 1,500 professional meetings between emerging studios, investors, and press. More than 30 international publishers and funds have already confirmed their attendance, including giants and prestigious labels such as Bandai Namco, 11 Bit Studios, or Kepler Interactive.

Local development will receive a key boost through the mentorship program Mentorships for the Future, sponsored by the studio Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate 3); the pitching sessions with Madrid In Game; the funding lines for projects led by women from Wings, and the job fair Talent Dev Day, which will take place as a preliminary day on Thursday, October 8th, at the Palo Alto complex, among others.

Heritage and outreach

A cultural journey through history, experimentation and equity

The informative dimension of the fair will offer a unique heritage tour. Visitors will be able to enjoy My famicase exhibition, an exhibition arriving directly from Tokyo with 250 Famicom cartridges illustrated by artists from all over the world. It will also be possible to visit the second edition of the Glitch collection, dedicated to experimental and alternative video game installations, and the MUVIC (Video Game Museum of Catalonia), which will offer guided tours in Catalan throughout the weekend.

Likewise, the event will reserve a central space for diversity through the Women in Gaming area, organized in collaboration with ICEX and the Association of Women in the Video Game Industry. The initiative presents an exhibition dedicated to recognizing the career paths of 25 outstanding women within the video game sector. The fair will also have awareness spaces such as family workshops around the guide Shared Game, which seeks to promote a conscious and intergenerational use of video games.

Time to play

More than 500 gaming points between indies, nostalgia, and the Japanese giant

The heart of the fair will, inevitably, be active gaming, with more than 500 gaming stations available to the public. The largest area, a legacy of IndieDevDay, will be that of indie studios and publishers, and will bring together more than 200 independent titles to experience and discuss with the studios themselves. Also noteworthy is the presence of relevant labels such as Devolver Digital, Super Rare Games, Raw Fury, The Behemoth or Brainwash Gang.

Lovers of the classics will find their paradise in the Retro&Arcade zone, run by RetroBarcelona, which will deploy more than 150 classic arcade machines and original cabinets to shape the largest arcade in the country. The area will also have specific spaces for competitive fighting games and Japanese music arcade games, the most sought-after ones.

For the general public, Nintendo will have its own official stand, a presence almost unprecedented at national trade fairs in the sector, although the company has participated in other major fairs in the Catalan capital such as the Manga or Comic fairs. The Japanese company's space will feature even more gaming stations to try out their latest novelties. To complete the experience, the show will incorporate immersive installations with virtual reality devices and simulation booths in the VR and simulator zone.

An unmissable event at Montjuïc

Grand finale with shows, art, collecting and competition

The leisure offer during the three days of the fair remains dense and varied, with proposals designed for all audiences. Among the activities in the program, the piano concert by Elesky, the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the program Generació digital, the cosplay contest, and the IndieDevDay Awards stand out. In the field of eSports, various tournaments will be held, but the exhibition match of League of Legends between Barça eSports and UB Alma Mater, and the one featuring the women's Valorant team from the blue and garnet club take center stage.

The fair does not forget the artists and also presents a wide craft area related to the world of video games, in addition to official shops, a space dedicated to board games, and a dining area. To top it off, as expected, one of the most beloved traditions of the former IndieDevDay will be maintained: the physical sticker album that allows attendees to collect and exchange the illustrations of all the indie video games present at the fair.

The SAGA Barcelona Game Fest is not just the sum of three successful events, but rather it aspires to be the living demonstration of the maturity of an ecosystem that has known how to coordinate itself to create an event of international dimensions. All this without losing its local essence, its language, or its direct connection with the community. From October 9th to 11th, the Fira de Montjuïc will become the meeting point for all those who want to understand where the future of video games in Catalonia is headed.