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Indie Live Expo

Facts

Announced
opened general applications for INDIE Waves · 2026-09-02
Announced
INDIE Live Expo booth at Tokyo Game Show 2026 (Tokyo Game Show 2026) · 2026-09-02
Announced
next broadcast on December 1, 2026 · 2026-07-21
Announced
INDIE Live Expo Awards program · 2026-07-21
Noted
broadcast on December 1 · 2026-09-02
Noted
entry is free · 2026-09-02
Noted
one title per organization · 2026-09-02
Noted
applications close September 29 at 11:59 AM JST · 2026-09-02
Noted
plans to feature about 80 titles · 2026-09-02
Noted
adds questions about development team size, debut status, production setup, and anecdotes · 2026-09-02
Noted
video requirement changed to 15-second clip plus trailer of 30 seconds or more · 2026-09-02
Noted
has run since 2020 · 2026-09-02
Noted
passed 100 million cumulative views · 2026-09-02
Noted
introduced more than 3,300 titles · 2026-09-02
Noted
previous edition drew over 1,000 applications · 2026-09-02

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All coverage

Sep 2

INDIE Live Expo 2026.12.1 Opens Free INDIE Waves Submissions

The executive committee behind INDIE Live Expo opened general applications for INDIE Waves, the flagship corner of the December 1 broadcast, on September 2. Entry is free, one title per organization, and closes September 29 at 11:59 AM JST. The committee plans to feature about 80 titles. This round adds questions about development team size, whether the game is a debut work, full-time or part-time production setup, and anecdotes from production, part of a push to profile the people making the games as well as the games themselves. The video requirement also changed: applicants now submit a 15-second clip plus a trailer of 30 seconds or more. The committee separately announced an INDIE Live Expo booth at Tokyo Game Show 2026, running September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe in Hall 9, booth 09-E21, where it will hand out stickers of mascot Wishlist Ado-chan and a pamphlet carrying a 4-koma manga by Kawajiri Kodama. The program has run since 2020, passed 100 million cumulative views, and introduced more than 3,300 titles. The previous edition drew over 1,000 applications.

Jul 21

Indie Live Expo Returns December 1 With Awards Program

The INDIE Live Expo executive committee announced on July 21 that the next broadcast of the indie game showcase, INDIE Live Expo, will take place on December 1. This will be the 15th edition of the program, which began in 2020. The broadcast will include the return of the INDIE Waves segment, where each game gets 15 seconds of screen time; the previous edition featured approximately 160 titles. A general call for submissions for INDIE Waves is planned for around September 2026. The committee also plans to hold the INDIE Live Expo Awards, in which prominent figures from the game industry select their most interesting indie game of the year. Details on broadcast time, content, performers, and participating award judges have not yet been announced and will be released later on the official website and social media channels. The program is broadcast simultaneously in Japanese, Chinese, English, and Korean. The committee has also begun soliciting corporate sponsors for the event.