The Big Indie Pitch (Mobile, PC + Console Edition)

Are you an indie developer? Are you currently working on a new mobile, PC, or console game?

The Big Indie Pitch – the intense international quick-fire indie game competition – is coming to China, supported by Xsolla and complete with a dedicated new format!

The event is planned to run in 4 phases and is taking place during PG Connects Summit Shanghai on July 29.

Timings
10:00–12:00 Pitch Session (Registration @ 09:30)
12:00–13:00 Jury Session
17:30–18:00 Awards Ceremony

Award Categories
• Grand Prix
• Honourable Mention
• Excellence in Gameplay
• Excellence in Art & Design
• Excellence in Audio

The awards presentation will be live on stage, at the close of PGC Summit Shanghai.

PHASE 1

Submissions open in June 2026 and close in early-July 2026. All applicants submit via an online form (see button below).

Submissions are reviewed jointly by Pocket Gamer Connects and MyGamez representatives under a two-layer selection process. Up to 12 finalist teams are selected from the unified submission pool — open equally to Chinese and international studios.

PHASE 2

A pitching session for the selected finalist teams takes place on July 29 within a dedicated private zone in the Expo Area of the Mandarin Hall, Shanghai International Convention Center (the PG Connects Summit Shanghai venue).

Each finalist team rotates between judge tables. Each pitch slot is 10 minutes, inclusive of product demonstration and Q&A.

PHASE 3

Following the pitching session, judges will convene to consolidate scores and confirm winners. A structured scoring rubric — covering Gameplay, Art & Design, Audio, and Market Potential — ensures consistent evaluation across all judge tables and directly maps to each award category.

PHASE 4

As has become PG Connects tradition, the awards announcement is integrated into the main conference programme, taking place on the main stage immediately before the closing ceremony. Winners are announced in reverse order, with a short trailer played on screen for each winning game. Winners receive trophies and certificates on stage, accompanied by a group photograph, and media coverage across Steel Media and MyGamez networks.

The deadline for applications is midnight on July 8.

All submissions will be notified if they are successful in their application to pitch at the event. For more information please see our Big Indie Pitch guide here. Please note that all entrants must be able to attend the event and Steel Media will not cover costs associated with getting to the event.

If you have any queries, please contact Big Indie Pitch lead Jupiter Hadley at [email protected].