Source: BIC Organizing Committee

Google Play will participate as an official Executive Sponsor for the 'Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026 (BIC 2026),' a global indie game festival co-hosted by Busan Metropolitan City, the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, and the Busan Indie Connect Festival Organizing Committee (BIC Organizing Committee).

This sponsorship was arranged to promote promising domestic and international indie game developers and their entries, while further strengthening efforts to revitalize the ecosystem and support mutual growth. Google Play, which has consistently rolled out various indie support programs, intends to solidify its commitment to collaborative growth through this event.

As part of this sponsorship, Google Play will host the 'BIC x Google Play Indie Fest Awards,' a special ceremony for all participating entries. The program is designed to foster the practical growth of indie developers and help them gain broader public appeal.

The awards ceremony will take place on the main stage on August 15, the second day of the event. The 10 finalist teams, selected through a preliminary review of the 'BIC2026' exhibits, will take the stage to present their games before an on-site voting panel and a panel of expert judges. A total prize pool of ₩50 million will be awarded to the top-performing teams based on the combined scores from the votes and evaluations tallied that day.

On-site promotions for attendees will also be featured. A prize giveaway using 'Google Play Points' will be held, along with an event distributing exclusive invitations to Google Play VIP-grade users, which is expected to bring added vitality to the festival.

Jang Hyun-se, Head of Google Play for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, stated, "We hope that Google Play's support for indie game developers and users at BIC 2026 will further revitalize the indie game ecosystem."

Joo Sung-pil, Chairman of the BIC Organizing Committee, said, "It is very meaningful to have Google Play join as an Executive Sponsor for BIC 2026, providing support that ranges from developer awards to user events. We hope the various support measures provided through Google Play's sponsorship will serve as a focal point for both BIC participants and users to enjoy and grow together."