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2026-09-20 22:04 UTC → 2026-09-29 05:54 UTC ·
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Preparations and cultural events related to the gaming industry in South Korea have been highlighted through various exhibitions and promotional activities. In late August, the G-STAR 2026 Organizing Committee announced a collaboration with the trading platform KREAM to host a pop-up store in Pangyo. This event, scheduled for early September, serves as a precursor to the main G-STAR 2026 exhibition in Busan. The pop-up store aims to introduce the ‘Special Pass’ and expand gaming content through partnerships involving webtoons and mobility experiences. Following these promotional efforts, the GXG 2026 game culture festival and the ‘IndieCraft’ exhibition opened activities in Pangyo. Organized by Seongnam City and related agencies, the festival focuses on the intersection of gaming with music, art, and technology. The event includes an exhibition of indie game developers, a Brazilian pavilion, and the ‘2026 Connect Fair: K-Game Export Consultation’, which facilitates business meetings between Korean developers and global investors from regions including Japan, China, Taiwan, and the United States. The GXG 2026 festival concluded with approximately 43,000 visitors attending the Pangyo Station Square area. The event integrated gaming with music, artificial intelligence, and subcultures. During the festival, the Indiecraft exhibition featured 64 development studios, while the Connect Fair facilitated approximately 240 business meetings between 82 domestic indie game developers and 44 domestic and international buyers. Expanding its international reach, Pangyo, the South Korean gaming industry showed a significant presence at has significantly expanded its international presence. At the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2026 in Chiba, Japan. The Japan, the number of participating South Korean companies rose to 127, more than doubling from the previous year. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young and members of the National Assembly toured booths from major developers, including developers such as Nexon, Netmarble, NCSoft, Smilegate, and NHN, NHN to observe market reactions. Major developers are increasingly targeting the Japanese market by diversifying from mobile platforms to include PC and consoles, with a focus on the subculture genre. For example, NCSoft is testing new intellectual property with ‘Astrae Oratio’, a title set in a magical version of Tokyo that aims to move beyond traditional MMORPG formats. Preparations for G-STAR 2026, scheduled for November 19–22 at BEXCO in Busan, have also progressed with the reveal of its exhibition layout. The event will introduce a ‘G-STAR Global Game Showcase’ in Exhibition Hall 2, featuring international developers such as Sega, Koei Tecmo, NetEase Games, and CD Projekt Red. Highlights include the South Korean debut of Sega’s ‘Total War: Warhammer 40,000’ and demonstrations of Koei Tecmo’s ‘Nioh 3’. CD Projekt Red will showcase Korean-voiced gameplay for ‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past’. Large exhibition spaces in Hall 1 will be occupied by companies including Krafton, HoYoverse, Google Play, and Webzen. The festival will also feature the G-CON 2026 conference, the Overwatch Champions Series Asia Stage 3 Grand Finals, an indie game showcase with 106 companies, and a new ‘G-STAR Investment Connect’ program to support startups.