Mark your calendars for April 9, as the Triple-i Initiative returns for its third consecutive year. Spearheaded by Evil Empire—the studio currently developing Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse—this 45-minute digital showcase is set to deliver eight major world premieres. Viewers can look forward to fresh footage from high-profile titles such as Windrose, Dead as Disco, and the latest Castlevania entry.
In anticipation of the event, Evil Empire’s marketing director, Bérenger Dupré, and head of business, Benjamin Laulan, discussed the intricate process of curating a live broadcast. They shared insights into the criteria for selecting world premieres and the meticulous planning required to ensure the show flows seamlessly. While the audience sees a streamlined reel of trailers, the logistical effort behind the scenes to maintain momentum is immense.
The concept for the Triple-i Initiative was born during The Game Awards in 2022. Evil Empire played a pivotal role that year, as their Return to Castlevania DLC for Dead Cells served as the pre-show’s opening act. Despite knowing they were featured, the team was caught off guard by the timing. Dupré recalled that they were barely prepared for the surge in traffic, noting that their storefront page was only just finalized as the trailer aired.
That experience sparked a desire to create a dedicated platform where indie developers could truly shine. By 2024, as the studio prepared to unveil The Rogue Prince of Persia, they realized existing industry events didn’t align with their reveal schedule. This led to the birth of their own showcase, defined by a blunt, no-nonsense philosophy: “No hosts. No ads. Just games.”
Crafting such a focused event is a delicate balancing act. Modeled after the precision of a Nintendo Direct, the show aims to be dense rather than bloated. Laulan explained the difficulty of the selection process, noting that with only 40 available slots for a 45-minute window, the team must sift through over 300 submissions to find the perfect fit.
“You wouldn’t believe the amount of time we dedicate to the sequencing of the show.”
This rigorous standard has yielded impressive results. The 2024 debut featured the shocking reveal of Slay the Spire 2, alongside titles like Mouse: P.I. for Hire and Brotato. Subsequent editions kept the momentum going with The Alters and CloverPit. Evil Empire doesn’t just host trailers; they actively consult with developers to ensure their videos resonate emotionally. Laulan emphasizes that for a major IP revival, pacing is everything—studios should take their time to forge a genuine connection with the audience.
While the creative control remains with the developers, Evil Empire manages the broader tempo of the livestream. Laulan stresses that a broadcast must “open and close with a banger,” but the middle segments need a logical progression to keep viewers engaged. They also take caution to manage expectations, citing the backlash some shows face when a finale doesn’t match the community’s wilder theories. It is essential that the audience resonates with the entire lineup rather than just the headliners.
The strategy is clearly working. Last year, 16 featured titles landed on Steam’s Trending list, with participants seeing an average of 46,000 new wishlists in the week following the show. As for the 2026 edition, the lineup is already looking strong. Beyond Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, fans can expect updates on Risk of Rain 2, Dead as Disco, and contributions from industry heavyweights like Devolver Digital, Klei Entertainment, and TinyBuild. However, the organizers maintain a realistic sense of humor about certain “white whale” titles: “Still no Silksong or Half-Life 3,” they joked.
Source: Polygon
