gamescom latam 2027 Opens Speaker Applications and Free BIG Festival Game Submissions

gamescom latam 2027 is beginning its preparation well ahead of its April return to São Paulo, opening two major free submission processes for the global games industry. Developers, publishers, educators, business specialists and other professionals can now put forward proposals for the event's B2B speaker program, while independent game makers can submit projects to the BIG Festival competition and exhibition program.

The event is scheduled to run from April 22 through April 25, 2027, at Distrito Anhembi in São Paulo, Brazil. The paired calls create distinct opportunities: one for people who want to share expertise with an industry audience, and another for teams hoping to place their games before festival visitors, judges and fellow developers.

Both processes are free to enter, although submitting a proposal or game does not mean it will be selected. The speaker submission window opened on October 16, while BIG Festival entries are also currently being accepted from independent developers around the world.

What the B2B speaker call is looking for

The gamescom latam B2B Program is inviting session ideas that offer useful knowledge, professional experience and meaningful insights into the games business and creative practice. It is aimed at a broad international group, including developers and publishers, but the list of potential contributors extends across the many disciplines involved in making, supporting and selling games.

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Session proposals can address six main editorial areas:

• Careers and education
• Game creation, design and development
• Culture and creative identities
• Industry and business
• Marketing and community
• Technology and innovation

That scope leaves room for discussions ranging from career pathways and training to the creative choices behind a game, the realities of operating a studio, technical advances, community-building and the regional cultural contexts that shape interactive entertainment. For an event with a substantial Latin American presence and international ambitions, the culture and creative identities category is particularly notable. It opens the door to conversations about perspectives that can be overlooked when game development is discussed only through technology or commercial performance.

The call is specifically for editorial sessions. Companies looking to deliver commercial or overtly promotional presentations will need to pursue those separately through gamescom latam partnership and sponsorship arrangements. That distinction should help prospective speakers frame their proposals around ideas, lessons, research and practical experience rather than a product pitch.

For another perspective on this story, read gamescom latam 2027 Opens Speaker Call and Free BIG Festival Game Submissions.

Applicants have until January 18, 2027, at 7:00 a.m. EST to submit speaker proposals. People selected to speak will receive an all-access event credential, plus one additional B2B credential for a colleague, team member or partner. They will also receive three discount codes, each offering 30% off admission, and their session will be included in the official event program.

Those benefits make the program more than a stage appearance. For a small studio, academic group, service provider or independent professional, an official session can be a way to put work and expertise in front of peers attending the business side of one of Latin America's largest games events. Still, the program's editorial focus means a strong application will likely need to identify a clear takeaway for attendees rather than simply establish a speaker's credentials.

BIG Festival marks 15 years in 2027

Alongside the B2B call, gamescom latam has opened its submission process for the BIG Festival, short for Best International Games Festival. The 2027 edition will mark the festival's 15th anniversary. Founded in 2012, BIG Festival has long connected a competition for independent games with a public-facing event in São Paulo, and it remains a prominent opportunity for indie teams to reach players as well as industry professionals.

Indie developers worldwide can enter their games free of charge for the festival's competition and its no-cost exhibition program. This is an important distinction in an environment where event floor space, travel and marketing can be costly barriers for small teams. Selection remains competitive, but accepted games gain the chance to be experienced on site by the gamescom latam audience.

The entry deadline for games is January 15, 2027, at 9:59 p.m. EST, arriving three days before the deadline for speaker proposals. Teams should be mindful of the stated U.S. Eastern Standard Time deadline rather than assuming that a local cutoff in Brazil or their home country will be used.

The 2026 competition demonstrated the scale of international interest around the festival. It received a record 966 submissions from 75 countries. From the full field, a selection committee chooses the finalists, after which an international jury made up of games industry professionals determines the winners in the judged categories.

For developers, that process means that a BIG Festival entry has two potential forms of visibility. A game can be noticed during the committee's selection stage, then, if chosen as a finalist, can be experienced in the festival environment and evaluated by an international jury. The public is also directly involved in one major prize.

A wide awards slate, including regional recognition

BIG Festival's categories span both craft-specific and audience-focused achievements. Selected titles can compete for awards including Best Art, Best Casual Game, Best Gameplay, Best Game for Kids, Best Multiplayer, Best Narrative, Best Sound, Best Student Game and Innovation.

The awards also include Best Game: Brazil and Best Game: Latin America, giving regional developers dedicated categories within a competition that welcomes projects from around the globe. Those honors underline the festival's role as both an international indie showcase and a platform for creators working in Brazil and elsewhere across Latin America.

Another award, Best Game: Popular Choice, is decided by event visitors. Attendees will be able to play participating games on site and vote for their favorite, creating a result that is separate from the jury process. That category can reward games that quickly connect with players in a busy public exhibition setting, whether through an immediate mechanical hook, a memorable visual identity, accessible controls or a compelling multiplayer moment.

The WINGS Award will also return for BIG Festival 2027. It celebrates independent games made by teams where women and developers from marginalized gender groups have leading roles. Its return continues a focus on recognizing the people and team structures behind games, alongside the finished work itself.

Why the twin calls matter

Opening the speaker and game submission processes at the same time reflects the two complementary sides of gamescom latam. The B2B program is designed around exchange: professionals share lessons and perspectives that may affect how others approach development, careers, publishing, communities or emerging technology. BIG Festival, meanwhile, puts playable projects at the center, offering a route toward exhibition, player feedback and awards recognition.

For independent creators, the timing may also support a practical planning cycle. Teams with a game that could be ready for a festival presentation in April have several months to prepare an entry before the January deadline. Professionals with a session idea have a slightly longer window, but should use it to sharpen the editorial value of their proposal and ensure it fits one of the stated tracks.

Neither call is limited in the announcement to a particular game platform, genre or country. The speaker initiative is expressly international, and the BIG Festival submission process is open to independent developers worldwide. That broad eligibility is consistent with a festival that attracted entries from 75 countries in 2026, though every applicant will still need to meet the detailed requirements of the respective submission process.

With the event set for April 22-25 at Distrito Anhembi, the next few months will determine much of the shape of the 2027 program. The speaker roster will help define the conversations taking place across the B2B agenda, while the BIG Festival selection will establish which independent games visitors can discover, play and vote on in São Paulo.

For studios and professionals considering either route, the immediate dates to remember are January 15, 2027, at 9:59 p.m. EST for game submissions and January 18, 2027, at 7:00 a.m. EST for speaker proposals. Both opportunities carry no entry fee, but the competitive selection process means applicants should treat their submission as a focused representation of what their game or session can contribute to gamescom latam 2027.