BitSummit Punch, the longest-running indie game festival in Japan, is back for its 14th year, running between May 22-26. But this year, we're helping bring the amazing games featured at the event to you, dear readers.
The special BitSummit Punch 2026 round-up show, aka the BitSummit Punch Mixtape Presented by GamesRadar+, will air at 9AM PT / 12PM ET / 5PM BST / 6PM CET on May 26, which equates to 1AM JST on May 27.
You can watch it live here on the GamesRadar+ website, our YouTube channel and over on Twitch too.
During the ~60-minute broadcast, the BitSummit Punch Mixtape Presented by GamesRadar+ will feature interviews, trailers and more from the ground at the BitSummit Punch 2026 festival.
You'll be able to find out more about all the games featured in BitSummit Punch 2026 over on the official event Steam page.
Started as a passion project by developers who wanted more visibility for Japanese indie games, it's gone from strength to strength. That first year in 2013 saw just 200 people attend in a single room, but 2025's festival saw more than 58,000 indie game fans walk through its doors. And that's just the physical event too, with over 10m impressions to the BitSummit Steam event last year, and over 82,000 watching the live stream.
The idea is that every year, BitSummit takes a theme from Japanese culture or gaming heritage and makes it the focus for the entire show. This year's theme is 'High Impact', taking inspiration from the legacy of iconic Japanese fighting games.
From the arcades to genre legends like Street Fighter, Tekken, and King of Fighters, BitSummit Punch 2026 is going shine the light on indie developers who are taking the legacy of Japanese fighting games into 2026 and beyond.
Outside of the live stream, you can check out just some of the games that will be featuring at the festival itself in Kyoto over on the BitSummit website.
And don't forget to mark your calendars for May 26 to tune in to this year's BitSummit Punch, presented by GamesRadar+!
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