World Gaming (WG), the organiser of ICE Barcelona, has unveiled plans for a new Indie Game Zone at the 2027 edition of the show.
This specially curated area within the event’s newly established Technology and Innovation Hall is designed to spotlight independent game studios.
It will provide early-stage developers with a unique platform to present their original casino and iGaming content directly to global operators and industry decision-makers.
A platform for emerging talent
The Indie Game Zone is targeted at studios that have been operating for 10 years or less and who have not yet achieved the scale or visibility of established suppliers in the sector.
WG expressed its desire to offer these smaller creators an opportunity to showcase new intellectual property and innovative game concepts.
Studios interested in the zone can lease modular “pods” starting from €12,500. Each pod includes a branded cabinet, TV display, logo placement, stools, 500K electrical socket, and a listing with a profile on the ICE website.
Additionally, exhibitors will benefit from inclusion in guided stand tours and promotional exposure via ICE marketing channels. Notably, this includes a three-game feature in an Indie Games Showcase campaign and placement in the Slots News newsletter.
A new kind of visibility
Group Managing Director at WG, Alex Pratt said the Zone was designed to give emerging studios greater visibility at ICE.
“The Indie Game Zone is about giving genuinely exciting new studios a real platform at ICE, the kind of visibility that used to take years to earn.
“We built this because the industry’s next big thing is often coming from teams nobody’s heard of yet, and ICE should be the place where operators and decision makers find them first,” he added.
A home from new home
WG has specified that eligible applicants must have been operating for 10 years or less. They must also not be currently exhibiting at ICE or iGB Live. They must also not be subsidiaries of larger casino games providers and have games or concepts to present.
Applications for the Indie Game Zone at ICE 2027 are open.
The Indie Game Zone is for ‘the developers people will be talking about in five years’ time’ according to the organisers.
Attendees will find the Zone in the all-new Hall 7, a space dedicated to gaming tech innovation and upcoming ideas. ICE positioned the Hall as one that ‘reflects evolution’. It will also ‘create a stronger platform for enterprise technology, AI, payments, infrastructure, fintech and new iGaming innovation’.
The zone will provide a stage to demonstrate prototypes and live game builds to operator delegates.
Applications for the Indie Game Zone at ICE 2027 are open.
