The Busan Metropolitan City, Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, and the Busan Indie Connect Festival Organizing Committee (BIC Organizing Committee) have unveiled the primary agenda for the BIC 2026 offline festival, scheduled to take place at BEXCO, Busan, from August 14 to 16.

Carrying the slogan 'Buff Your Indie Spirit,' BIC 2026 shifts the focus toward participant-driven programming. The core pillars of 'discovery, connection, and growth' are woven into the event's floor plan, main stage, and interactive activities.

The exhibition area has been segmented by the game's development lifecycle: ▲DEMO (for hands-on trials) ▲BETA (for closed testing) ▲COMING SOON (unreleased titles) and ▲RELEASED (fully launched games).

Integrated into the visitor experience is the 'Buff Tracker.' Participants collect stickers by playing demos, engaging with developers, and verifying their Steam wishlists. Completing these tasks grants entry into the daily lucky draw.

The main stage will host a rotating three-day schedule. The 'BIC Awards,' which spotlight standout indie titles, are set for August 16. Throughout the event, attendees can join OX quizzes and split-screen trivia. Meanwhile, the live indie studio will broadcast developers playing their own games and sharing behind-the-scenes stories in real-time.

We have also curated the 'Main Road' to explore the creative process. The 'Behind Indie' section, linked with the Busan Indie Wave Conference's 'Games and IP' session, showcases the growth journeys of titles like Sanabi and Ogu and the Secret Forest, alongside the production process of Blue Archive. Visitors can collect free 'behind-the-scenes' cards detailing these development odysseys.

The 'Developers Wall,' decorated with this year's selected artwork, and the 'Inventory Indie' showcase will display physical merchandise crafted by the developers themselves. The official merchandise shop will also sell items featuring this year's key visuals. Additional interactive zones include the 'Inside Buff' message wall, the 'Buff Stepper' energy-filling floor pads, and the 'BIC Photo Box' for mementos.

Joo Sung-pil, Chair of the BIC Organizing Committee, stated, "BIC 2026 is designed to be more than just a passive exhibition; it is a stage where visitors can buff their own indie spirit and engage deeply with developers. We hope gamers and creators from around the world fully experience the raw energy of indie games where discovery, connection, and growth intersect."

The BIC 2026 offline festival kicks off with a Business Day on August 14 and runs for three days until August 16 at BEXCO. The online festival will remain accessible from August 7 through August 28 via the official BIC website.