SAGA Barcelona Game Fest Guide

From October 9th to 11th, pavilion 1 of Fira Barcelona Montjuïc will turn the SAGA Barcelona Game Fest into a meeting point for video game lovers and professionals. Heir to the IndieDevDay and Retrobarcelona, the event is a gathering for the industry, creators, players, and video game culture, with a specific commitment to video games in Catalan and a professional dimension designed to connect the Catalan sector with the international ecosystem.

More than 500 game points

For the general public, the Nintendo Area will allow testing the latest releases. There will also be more than 200 independent video games, virtual reality, simulators, and experimental video games.

The Retro&Arcade Area will bring together more than 150 classic arcade machines, consoles and microcomputers, as well as Japanese music arcade games. The venue will host the Video Game Museum of Catalonia (MUVIC), with guided tours in Catalan. You will also be able to see the Famicase Collection, with 250 cartridges illustrated by international artists, and the Glitch Collection, dedicated to alternative and experimental video games.

From 'Mario Kart' to 'League of Legends'

The competition will occupy a large part of the hall, with tournaments for FIFA, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Street Fighter, Super Smash Bros., Virtua Tennis or Mario Strikers. The main stage will host finals and exhibitions, with a League of Legends match between Barça eSports and UB Alma Mater and a women's Valorant exhibition by Barça.

Business in the lounge

SAGA also aims to be an international business platform. Through MeetToMatch, studios, publishers, investors and other agents will be able to arrange bilateral meetings. There are already nearly 400 participants and 350 meetings scheduled. The goal is to reach 1,500 meetings during the event.

"We want SAGA Barcelona Game Fest to be a space where projects can grow, find funding, and connect with the international industry," explains Tina Font, the event's lead coordinator. More than 30 international publishers and investors will participate, including Kepler Interactive, 11 Bit Studios, and Bandai Namco.

Independent studios will also have access to the Mentorships for the Future, sponsored by Larian Studios. The program will include the IndieDevDay Awards, which will recognize projects in art, design, narrative, and technology.

Catalonia, at the center

The Catalonia plays strong: creativity, talent and community stand, promoted by the Generalitat, will concentrate professional meetings, activities for the ecosystem and presentations of projects and public resources. The programming will include debates on the international projection of Catalan talent, diversity and female leadership.

Catalan will play a central role at the fair. There will be 70 games in Catalan, the signage and customer service will be mainly in Catalan, and all talks and presentations will be available in this language. SAGA TV will operate exclusively in Catalan.

"A fair with a clear international projection, with editors and investors from all over the world, is perfectly compatible with a full use of Catalan," points out Font. But the organization cannot do all the work: "What will really make Catalan live at the fair is for the public to use it: in conversations, at the stands, in the games, and on social media."

SAGA thus combines gaming, culture, and industry, with a commitment to Catalan talent and international connection. It is an unmissable event for both professionals and enthusiasts, and of course for anyone who wants to get an idea of the sector's potential today in Catalonia and keep their finger on its pulse.