Australia’s biggest celebration of gaming culture, The Game Expo, has revealed its first international guests and it’s a major win for game developers and fans alike.
Landing at the Melbourne Convention Centre on March 14–15, 2026, the expo will welcome Kyoto-based development studio 17-BIT, known for reinventing classic game genres for a modern audience.
Flying in from Japan, the team will showcase their upcoming title AWAYSIS and offer rare insight into what it’s like to build games inside one of the world’s most influential gaming cultures.
A rare look inside a global studio
Leading the delegation is Jake Kazdal, CEO and art director at 17-BIT, whose career spans iconic SEGA titles including Space Channel 5 and REZ. Kazdal was among the first Western developers to work in Japan — a path that has helped shape 17-BIT’s distinctive creative approach.
Joining him is Ally Mobbs, audio director and sound designer, alongside producer Steve Heller. Mobbs’ work highlights the growing influence of audio design in immersive gameplay — an often-overlooked but critical discipline in modern game development.
Together, the team will be on the show floor giving attendees hands-on access to AWAYSIS ahead of its release.
What is AWAYSIS?
At its core, AWAYSIS is a physics-based dungeon-crawling brawler designed for chaotic fun.
Built for four-player co-op (online and split-screen), the game blends classic genre energy with modern mechanics — sliding, jumping, colliding and smashing through an ancient floating relic under siege by dark forces.
It’s fast, playful, and deliberately unpredictable — very much on brand for 17-BIT’s genre-bending style.
Why this matters
For aspiring developers, creatives and technologists, 17-BIT’s appearance at The Game Expo offers more than gameplay.
It’s a chance to:
- Learn how global studios collaborate across cultures
- Hear firsthand about careers in game design, audio and production
- Explore how indie studios innovate in a competitive global market
As a Kyoto-based studio with team members around the world, 17-BIT represents the increasingly borderless future of game development.
What the studio says
“We’re excited to visit Australia for The Game Expo,” said Jake Kazdal.
“We’re looking forward to meeting fans and talking with fellow developers about our experience developing games in Japan — and showing our biggest slice of AWAYSIS yet.”
Planning your visit
You’ll be able to meet the 17-BIT team and play AWAYSIS live at The Game Expo, March 14–15, 2026.
🎟️ Tickets are available now at thegameexpo.com
The full lineup of guest panels, performances, signings and workshops will be announced closer to the event.
If gaming, creativity and global tech culture are on your radar — this is one date worth locking in.
