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BitSummit the 13th

Name: BitSummit the 13th
Start: 2025-07-17T11:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-07-20T10:59:59-04:00

BitSummit the 13th will run from from July 18 to 20, 2025 at the Miyako Messe Exhibition Center in Kyoto, Japan. You will be able to watch it on YouTube and Twitch.

Here is the full schedule and list of sponsors and exhibitors:

■ Schedule

January 18 (YouTube [10:00~, 13:00~], Twitch)

10:00 to 10:30 – Opening Ceremony – The wait is over—BitSummit the 13th kicks off three full days of indie madness in Kyoto! Featuring James Mielke (Creative Director, BitSummit), Dylan Cuthbert (Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) Chairman), Hisashi Koshimizu (Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) Vice Chairman), Masahiko Murakami (Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) Director), and John Davis (Japan Independent Games Aggregate (JIGA) Director).
10:35 to 11:05 – BitSummit the 13th New Title Premiere #1: Ratatan – Catch the first-ever gameplay reveal of Ratatan before it hits stores this July! Featuring Hiroyuki Kotani and Kazuto Sakajiri.
11:10 to 11:40 – GALLERIA Presents: Recommended Indie Game Showcase #1: Sausage Legend: Arena – GALLERIA spotlights a curated selection of standout indie titles—fresh, inventive, and full of charm. Featuring Tadaki.
11:45 to 12:15 – BitSummit the 13th New Title Premiere #2: Shibuya Scramble Stories – Director Jiro Ishii (428) takes the stage to pull back the curtain on Shibuya Scramble Stories. Featuring Jiro Ishii (game designer, creator, and scriptwriter).
12:20 to 12:50 – GALLERIA Presents: Recommended Indie Game Showcase #2: BOKURA: planet – GALLERIA spotlights a curated selection of standout indie titles—fresh, inventive, and full of charm. Featuring Tokoronyori.
13:00 to 13:30 – INDIE CROSS TALK: Conversations with Game Developers from Korea – A cross-talk session featuring six Korean game developers, presented by KOCCA. Featuring Lee Heesang, Lim GwonYeong, Lee ChaYoung, Kim GiHun, ParkJinGyu (Kevin), and Yu Jin Han.
13:35 to 14:05 – Create games and earn from them: choosing the path of a creator in The Sandbox – An introduction to The Sandbox, a platform where users can freely create and share their own games. Featuring Tomoyuki Kyuuei, Yaojen Chan, Daidaimaru, and Sato Tanaka.
14:10 to 14:40 – Indie Game Evangelist Shuhei Yoshida Talks with Yuzo Koshiro – Indie game evangelist Shuhei Yoshida sits down with legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro to explore his creative process—from Ys and Shenmue to his upcoming game Earthion, launching July 31. Featuring Yuzo Koshiro, Shuhei Yoshida, and Makoto Wada.
14:45 to 15:45 – BitSummit x CAMPFIRE Project: Featuring Buzz-Worthy New Titles – Introducing the new game A FAREWELL TO AI, created using AI! Featuring Tom Ikeda, Nakamura Takayuki, Keigo Ichinoue, and Takaya Imamura.
15:50 to 16:20 – Lost In Cult: Preserving Video Games Through Physical Media – Join Lost in Cult as they explore how physical media keeps game history alive and the importance of it’s preservation. Featuring Michael Leopold Weber and Joy Mielke.
16:25 to 16:55 – The State of Video Games in Catalonia, Spain – An inside look at Catalonia’s video game industry and development scene. Featuring David Jimenez , Eva Gaspar, Daniel Santigosa, Arnau Reig, Federico Sauret, and Enric Sant.
17:00 to 17:05 – Day 1 Closing & Wrap-Up – Catch up on Day 1’s highlights and take a look ahead at what’s coming on Day 2!

January 19 (YouTube [10:05~, 12:40~], Twitch)

10:05 to 10:15 – Opening Performance – Day 2 kicks off with a musical blast from Professor Sakamoto—our morning espresso in sound form! Featuring Professor Sakamoto.
10:35 to 10:45 – Official Reporter Stage – Featuring Jinji-san and Yoh.
10:45 to 11:45 – Pocketpair Publishing Introducing Two New Titles! – A new look at two of their upcoming titles Never Grave and Truckful. Featuring John Buckley (Bucky).
11:20 to 11:50 – Inside BAKUDO and ANTHEM#9: 30 Minutes to Make Gameplay Better! – Straight from the devs: Shueisha Games dives into BAKUDO and ANTHEM#9 with behind-the-scenes stories. Featuring Arther, Jonathan, koeda, and Wataru Morita.
11:55 to 12:25 – PlayStation Introduces Indie Title Dreams of Another – A segment where PlayStation highlights a selection of the latest in indies! Featuring Baiyon and Shawne Benson.
12:40 to 12:50 – Official Reporter Stage – Featuring Garu Enko and Ai Murasame.
12:50 to 13:25 – Hideki Kamiya x Crystal Noda: What’s Next for Games? – Two visionary creators share their current work and bold ideas for the future of the industry. Featuring Hideki Kamiya and Crystal Noda.
13:30 to 13:40 – Official Reporter Stage – Featuring Muu Hiyori and Yuno Kurage.
13:40 to 14:10 – Inti Creates Unveils Their Next Game – Get a first look at the exciting new title from Inti Creates! Featuring Yuuji Natsume and Takuya Aizu.
14:15 to 14:25 – Official Reporter Stage – Featuring FB777 and eoheoh.
14:25 to 14:55 – [BitSummit Buraritabi – Let’s walk around the venue!] – Exploring This Years Award Nominees – The one and only Swery 65 (Deadly Premonition, D4:Dark Dreams Don’t Die) takes you on a guided tour through the exhibition floor—expect strong opinions and stronger titles. Featuring Hidetaka “Swery 65” Suehiro.
15:00 to 15:30 – BitSummit Special Stage featuring the Winners of Kami-Game Creators: Evolution 2024! – Taking the spotlight is the 2024 finalist of Kami-Game Creators: Evolution, a contest for young game creators in Japan! Featuring Hiroshi Matsuyama, Mie Kugami, and O.I.L.
15:35 to 16:05 – Spotlight on Kaz Ayabe: Creator of Boku no Natsuyasumi – Kaz Ayabe, best known for the Boku no Natsuyasumi series, takes the stage to share his creative journey in a rare, must-see appearance. Featuring Kaz Ayabe (game designer, game scenario writer, curry shop owner).
16:20 to 17:00 – BitSummit Musical Performance: Nobuo Uematsu and conTIKI – Closing out Day 2 is none other than Nobuo Uematsu leading conTIKI! Enjoy an unforgettable performance live from the BitSummit stage! Featuring Nobuo Uematsu, Rie Tozuka, and Xiao.
17:00 to 17:05 – Day 2 Ending
17:30 to 19:10 – BitSummit 2025 Award Ceremony – All eyes on the BitSummit Awards! It’s time to recognize the heart, risks and brilliance of this year’s games. (If you would like to see the awards ceremony, please wait near the audience seats in front of the stage by 5:00 p.m. Please note that the doors will close at 5:00 p.m. for all venues except the 3F stage.)

January 20 (YouTube [10:05~, 12:50~], Twitch)

10:05 to 10:15 – Opening Performance – And we’re kicking off Day 3 with another electrifying performance from Professor Sakamoto! Featuring Professor Sakamoto.
10:35 to 10:45 – Official Reporter Stage – Featuring Jinji-san and Yoh.
10:45 to 11:15 – What is “Game Creator Finding” by TOKYU LAND CORPORATION? – Learn how Shibuya based real-estate corporation TOKYU LAND CORPORATION supports indie creators—together with the creators of their first title GIRGURU. Featuring Yuina Ito, Tomoyo Takayanagi, Kazufumi Narawa, and Atsushi Ito.
11:20 to 11:50 – Coming Soon – A segment where PlayStation highlights a selection of the latest in indies! Featuring Takashi Ishiara and Shawne Benson.
11:55 to 12:05 – Official Reporter Stage – Featuring Samii Yuzuki and Mia Unviel.
12:05 to 12:35 – Let’s Play Hirogami: Hosted by LayerQ – Tune in as LayerQ takes a deeper look at the upcoming origami-themed action platformer being published by Kakehashi Games on PC and PlayStation 5. Featuring LayerQ.
12:50 to 13:00 – Official Reporter Stage – Featuring Ruru Hakurou and Mon Mamoru.
13:00 to 13:30 – Multiplayer Tag Game OBAKEIDORO 2: Chase & Seek Takes Over the Stage! – Get a look at OBAKEIDORO 2: Chase & Seek, coming to Nintendo Switch 2—including a preview video featuring the game’s voice actors. Featuring Yurina Uchiyama, Yoshinori Tanaka (producer and director).
13:35 to 13:45 – Official Reporter Stage – Featuring FB777 and eoheoh.
13:45 to 14:15 – Happinet Indie Collection: The 2025 Title Lineup! – A curated showcase of standout titles from the upcoming 2025 Happinet Indie Collection—your all-in-one preview of what’s next in indie gaming. Featuring Masaru Saito and Daiki Takeuchi.
14:20 to 14:30 – Official Reporter Stage – Featuring Garu Enko and Ai Murasame
14:30 to 15:00 – Japan’s Yamien x China’s Tokage-kun: Borderless ShapeHero Factory Showdown! – Watch two influencers go head-to-head in a gripping live battle—who will rule the factory floor? Featuring Yamien and 蜥蜴君.
15:05 to 15:35 – holoIndie Presents: Ririka Ichijou’s Game Dig!! – holoIndie ambassador Ririka Ichijou (from hololive DEV_IS) takes the stage to explore this year’s award-winning titles in depth. Featuring Ichijou Ririka.
15:45 to 16:05 – BitSummit Musical Performance: Okan P! – OkanP (Harumi Fujita), the Capcom composer behind Mega Man 3 and Final Fight, brings her viral TikTok energy to BitSummit with a live performance where she’ll craft an original track on the spot—just like in her 2.8 million-view debut. Featuring Okan-P (composer).
16:10 to 16:40 – BitSummit Final Musical Performance: Chip Tanaka! – Chip Tanaka closes the weekend with a pulse-pounding chiptune set to send BitSummit off in style. Featuring Chip Tanaka.
16:40 to 16:50 – BitSummit 2025 Award Ceremony: Kids Selection Award and Popular Selection Award – Celebrate the winners of the Kids Selection Award and Popular Selection Award, chosen by audience vote—and stay tuned for a major announcement!