The Gamescom LATAM 2025 BIG Festival has announced its highly anticipated list of 90 finalist video games selected from a global pool of submissions. Following a successful 2024 event, this year's festival aims to attract even more attendees and further solidify its position as a key gaming event in Latin America.

The 2024 Gamescom LATAM earned accolades for its seamless execution and innovative combination with the BIG Festival, Latin America's largest indie game festival.  This unique partnership offers a platform for both established and emerging indie developers to showcase their work, compete for prestigious awards, and connect with industry professionals. Alongside the indie game showcase, attendees can experience major AAA titles, building on last year's exhibitions of popular games like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

This year, Gamescom LATAM received a record-breaking 962 game submissions from 71 countries vying for recognition across 17 different award categories.  The final 90 represent a diverse range of genres and development studios, with strong representation from Latin America. Thirty-two finalists hail from the region, including 19 from Brazil, six from Argentina, four from Mexico, and one each from Colombia, Costa Rica, and Uruguay.  "This incredible participation reflects the continued growth and vibrancy of the independent video game industry worldwide, and particularly in Latin America," commented Gustavo Steinberg, BIG Festival's founder and Gamescom LATAM's CEO.

The selected finalists will be showcased throughout the five-day event, culminating in two awards ceremonies. The first ceremony on April 30th will recognize winners in categories such as Best Game, Best Game: Brazil, and Best Game: Latin America, each with a cash prize of R$5,000 (approximately US$860). The second ceremony on May 4th will reveal the Best Game: Popular Vote winner and other accolades.  Last year's Game of the Year award went to the acclaimed indie title, Chants of Sennaar.

The 2025 finalists include highly anticipated games from notable indie publishers like Annapurna Interactive, Devolver Digital, Copycat Nuuvem, and Critical Reflex.  Previously announced, The Pokemon Company will also be present at the event, offering special Pokemon GO activities and exclusive merchandise.

Building on last year's attendance of over 100,000 fans, Gamescom LATAM 2025 is expected to exceed expectations.  Steam's participation adds another layer of excitement, with planned talks and workshops geared towards game developers.  Further details about the event schedule and programming will be released in the coming weeks.