The merger of the three major video game fairs in Catalonia has been a success, according to its spokesperson, Tina Font: “We have exceeded all the organization's expectations.” This first edition, which debuted at the Fira de Barcelona's Montjuïc venue, has closed its doors with an influx of more than 21,000 people. Regarding the industry, the professional area accommodated a total of 1,590 business meetings, which were also attended by more than 30 international publishers and investors. “The success of the fair comes when a studio manages to close a contract or find funding, or when a professional finds the job of their dreams,” she pointed out. Finally, the participation of more than 2,000 students and teachers during Friday's session, which was more oriented towards training and employment, stands out.

The video game sector in Catalonia has been demonstrating extraordinary vitality for years, but it lacked a great, unified, and ambitious showcase at the level of its industrial and creative weight. The SAGA Barcelona Game Fest wants to fill this void and is born from the strategic merger of the three reference events in the territory: the IndieDevDay (rebranded as BCN Game Fest and promoted by the ICOA), which provides the professional muscle and the developer community; the 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 disseminator of the history and heritage of video games.

In a sector that often lives obsessed with the next big launch and the latest generation of graphics power, the RetroBarcelona fair has become a necessary space to stop and look back. The eleventh edition arrives at an exciting time for the Catalan ecosystem, as the three major events in the sector (SAGA, BCN Game Fest, and RetroBarcelona itself) have made their merger public. Despite the new shared direction, the Hospitalet event maintains its dates alone in May to demonstrate that classic video games are not just a matter of nostalgia, but a fundamental pillar of contemporary digital culture.

The benchmark event for classic video games returns with an edition with more space, more activities, and special guests to celebrate its 10th anniversary. After bringing together more than 6,000 attendees in the latest edition, the fair hopes to exceed this figure. The area used at the Farga is expanding to 6,000 m², to once again fill it with gaming points, tournaments, exhibitions, conferences, and much more. In fact, the fair is consolidating its position as an unmissable event for fans of the retro world and the Peninsula. The program is tailored to the general public as well as educational centers and families, and its objective is not only entertainment, but also promotes the dissemination of the history of video games and highlights their cultural value.