The Tokyo Game Show (TGS), Asia’s largest gaming exhibition, is celebrating its 30th anniversary and expanding to its longest-ever scale. Industry expectations are rising for this event, which promises to bring meaningful change not just to major game companies but to the entire indie game ecosystem.
Five-day festival… TGS 2026, the longest ever
The Computer Entertainment Industry Association (CESA) of Japan has officially announced that the Tokyo Game Show 2026 (TGS 2026) will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture for five days from September 17th to 21st. The key change to this event is that it will be operated over a five-day period, with one additional public day added to the existing four-day schedule (two business days and two general admission days), resulting in two business days and three general admission days.
The organizers set the slogan for this event as “The Longest Five Days of Nonstop Play” and projected an attendance of 300,000.
Growth indicators are also dazzling. TGS, which began with 605 participating companies and 1,881 booths in 2022, nearly doubled its numbers in just three years, reaching 1,136 participating companies, 4,157 booths, and 263,101 visitors in 2025. Notably, the number of overseas participants (615) surpassed that of domestic participants (521) for the first time, and the number of participating countries and regions increased to 47.
A special place for indie games: ‘Selected Indie 80’
The extended exhibition period isn’t the only highlight for indie game developers in this expansion. TGS 2026 will offer free exhibition opportunities to 80 indie development teams from around the world through its “SELECTED INDIE 80” indie game support program.
The fact that TGS, where booth participation fees are approximately 3.83 million won (per booth), offers free exhibition space is practically the only way for small developers with limited capital to enter the global stage.
In addition, “SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT 2026 (SOWN)” will continue to run. SOWN is TGS’s flagship indie game presentation program, discovering unique ideas and innovative game designs. Selected teams will have the opportunity to present their games directly to industry insiders and the press. For indie developers, it’s a crucial opportunity to go beyond simply promoting their products and establish connections with publishers and investors.
Korean indie games use TGS as a springboard to conquer the Japanese market.
The Korean indie game industry is also paying close attention to the expansion of TGS. Global publisher CFK already launched its foray into the Japanese market at the 2025 TGS, showcasing three highly anticipated indie titles: “Lapin,” “Nightmare: The Lunatic,” and “Catgirl Survivor.”
As the event period is extended by one day, more visitors will be able to visit the booth and gain actual play experience, which is expected to increase the on-site exposure effect compared to the previous year.
The current environment, particularly with the continued weakness of the yen, is particularly advantageous for Korean indie developers. Paying participation fees in yen reduces the actual cost burden. The TGS Organizing Committee cited this as one of the key factors driving the expansion of overseas participation.
By linking with the ‘Tokyo Indie Games Summit 2026’, which will be held separately in Tokyo in March 2026, a strategy of gaining exposure to Japanese indie games twice in one year is also possible.
Expanding business opportunities and networking open to indies
TGS 2026 will also strengthen its B2B capabilities. It will expand the business meeting area and introduce a dedicated “Black Pass” that offers access to the business lounge and international parties.
The number of meeting requests through the business matching system has exploded, from 11,862 in 2022 to 88,977 in 2025. Not only major game companies but also indie developers can leverage this system to secure meetings with publishers, platform companies, and overseas distributors.
Additionally, since the event management office will distribute official press releases in four languages, including Korean, and broadcast official videos on eight platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, and X, even if you cannot attend the event in person, you can expect indirect promotional effects online.
The stage for indie games expands.
TGS’s transition to a five-day format isn’t simply a schedule extension. It’s also a declaration of commitment to increasing attendance, expanding business opportunities, and continuing to run programs dedicated to indie games. For indie developers from Korea and abroad, ready to wow the world with their ideas, TGS 2026 promises to offer a broader stage than ever before.
The deadline for TGS 2026 participation applications is May 8 for 42 booths or more, and May 22 for less than 42 booths. Admission and business tickets will go on sale starting in July.
