BitSummit announced on its Twitter account on March 11 that the 2020 BitSummit event, BitSummit The 8th Bit, has been canceled due to the new Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Bitsummit The 8th Bit was supposed to be held from May 9-10, 2020. It's also important to note that Bitsummit's organizers have been keeping a close watch on the situation, just like anyone else in the gaming industry, and that back in late February, the event was still on track. However, BitSummit now announced canceling the event is the right and safest thing to do.

BitSummit is one of the biggest events in Japan when it comes to doujin games, what we call Japanese indie games. The event is a great occasion for Japanese doujin developers to present their work, share significant updates on already announced games, and reveal brand new projects. Moreover, Bitsummit is also a chance for these developers to try and get into talks with a publisher. Most Japanese doujin games solely release on PC and can only come to consoles through the help of a publisher or a bigger studio. This will definitely have a huge impact on the indie scene in Japan.

BitSummit is also the right place to make Japanese people play and discover your game if you're a non-Japanese indie developer.

COVID-19 has a huge impact on the world including the gaming industry, as numerous events have been canceled or postponed one after the other. Factories closing down also affect the gaming industry. Japan is particularly hit. Many companies in the world including game studios have switched to work at home. E3 2020 is rumored to be canceled as well, with an official announcement coming in the next few hours. With all that in mind, please remember to regularly wash your hands, even more so than usual, not for yourself, but for your elders are they are the most at risk.