Source: BIC Organizing Committee

The final selection for the 'Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026 (BIC 2026),' a global indie game festival co-hosted by the Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Jeon Jae-soo), the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (Acting President Lee Jae-deok), and the Busan Indie Connect Festival Organizing Committee (Chairman Joo Sung-pil, hereafter BIC Organizing Committee), has been unveiled. The BIC Organizing Committee will announce the selections for the General, Rookie, and Connect Pick categories on its official website at 3:00 PM on the 13rd, at which time 'Early Bird' tickets, offering a 20% discount across all ticket types, will also go on sale.

A total of approximately 180 games from 41 countries have been officially selected for BIC 2026. The General and Rookie categories were chosen by a panel of expert judges, while the Connect Pick category was determined by votes from the 'Big Connectors,' the official BIC crew. With the addition of non-competitive exhibition entries, such as sponsor and partner games, attendees will be able to experience a diverse array of indie games from around the world both on-site and online.

This year's selections were made amidst the fiercest competition in the festival's history. A total of 856 entries from 57 countries were submitted for BIC 2026, a roughly 44% increase from the 592 entries in the previous festival. This demonstrates that BIC has firmly established itself as a global festival platform that leads the trends of indie gaming not just in Asia, but across the world.

'Early Bird' ticket sales, which offer a chance to experience this expanded lineup at a reasonable price, begin today (the 13rd) at 3:00 PM. These tickets provide a discount opportunity for attendees eager to check out the announced lineup and join the festival.

Tickets are available in several categories: #1 'Business Pass,' which supports business meetings and conference participation for industry professionals; #2 'Offline Festival Ticket (1-Day/2-Day),' which allows attendees to play exhibition games on-site; and #3 'Online Festival Ticket,' which provides access to exhibition games for approximately three weeks without time or space constraints. Notably, the 'Offline Festival 1-Day Ticket,' highly anticipated by many visitors, will be available starting with this Early Bird sale.

Joo Sung-pil, Chairman of the BIC Organizing Committee, stated, "With a record-breaking number of entries from 57 countries, BIC 2026 serves as a milestone in further expanding the diversity and originality of indie games. As this lineup is filled with the experiments and endeavors of global indie developers, I hope attendees will come to experience its breadth and depth for themselves."

Early Bird Online Festival Tickets and Business Passes can be purchased on the official BIC website until August 5, while Offline Festival Tickets are available until August 11. Group discount applications for organizations and institutions are also being accepted. Detailed information regarding the event and tickets can be found on the official website and social media channels.