Evil Empire’s Triple-i Initiative Returns April 9 with Indie Game Showcase
The independent video game showcase, Triple-i Initiative, organized by Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse developer Evil Empire, will return on April 9 for its third year. The 45-minute stream promises eight world premieres and a curated selection of trailers, aiming to deliver a “no hosts, no ads, just games” experience.
Origins and Philosophy
The Triple-i Initiative originated from Evil Empire’s experience at the 2022 Game Awards, where their Return to Castlevania DLC for Dead Cells was revealed. Founders Bérenger Dupré and Benjamin Laulan, inspired by events like E3 and The Game Awards, sought to create a focused showcase for indie games. The initiative was born out of a need for a platform to reveal their game, The Rogue Prince of Persia, in 2024, as no existing showcase aligned with their timeline. Polygon reports that the core mission is to provide a streamlined experience: “No hosts. No ads. Just games.”
Curating the Showcase
Evil Empire receives over 300 submissions for the showcase but has limited slots – around 40 – to maintain a tight, focused presentation. Laulan emphasized the importance of trailer quality and pacing, stating that Evil Empire provides feedback to developers to ensure memorable reveals. Polygon notes that the event aims to emulate the format of a Nintendo Direct rather than the larger, more sprawling events like The Game Awards or Summer Games Fest.
Past Successes and Expectations
The 2024 debut featured the surprise reveal of Slay the Spire 2, alongside titles like Mouse: P.I. For Hire, Brotato, and Cat Quest 3. The 2025 edition included reveals for Rematcha and The Alters, with several featured games achieving significant traction on Steam. According to Evil Empire, 16 games from last year’s showcase appeared in Steam’s Top Trending list, and eight garnered over 80,000 Steam wishlists in the week following the demonstrate. Polygon
What to Expect in 2026
This year’s showcase will include a new look at Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, recently previewed at a PlayStation State of Play stream. Updates on Risk of Rain 2 and a fresh look at Dead as Disco, recently highlighted at GDC, are also planned. Confirmed publishers participating include Devolver Digital, Klei Entertainment, sunset visitor, and tinyBuild. Gematsu reports that the broadcast will be available on both YouTube, and Twitch.
Show Details
The Triple-i Initiative 2026 will air on April 9 at 9:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. ET. Gematsu A post-show deep dive into some of the featured titles will follow the main broadcast.