[K-Tech] Korean game makers bring big bets to Gamescom 2025

Kraftons booth at Gamescom 2025 in Cologne Germany Courtesy of Krafton — Krafton's booth at Gamescom 2025 in Cologne, Germany/ Courtesy of Krafton

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - When Gamescom, the world’s largest video game convention, opens its doors on Wednesday, the cavernous exhibition halls of Cologne will once again fill with flashing screens, long lines and hundreds of thousands of fans eager for the next big title.

This year, South Korea’s biggest gaming companies are arriving in force.

Krafton, the publisher behind “PUBG: Battlegrounds,” is mounting one of the flashiest presences at the five-day expo, with a booth split between two major releases: “inZOI,” a life-simulation game, and “PUBG: Blindspot,” a new top-down tactical shooter rooted in the PUBG universe.

Pearl Abyss, meanwhile, is returning with its ambitious open-world adventure “Crimson Desert.” After focusing last year on combat mechanics, the studio plans this year to highlight the game’s expansive exploration systems, with a release targeted for early 2026.

Other Korean firms are also using the Cologne stage to woo global audiences. Netmarble will unveil trailers for its anime-inspired role-playing game, “The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin,” and, in partnership with Samsung Electronics, will demo “Mongil: Star Dive” on the company’s glasses-free 3D monitors.

Kakao Games’ subsidiary, Ocean Drive Studio, is bringing back “God Save Birmingham,” a zombie survival title set in plague-stricken 14th-century England, with a new pre-alpha build.

Smaller developers are not being left behind. Backed by the government-run Korea Creative Content Agency, a “Korea Pavilion” will showcase projects from independent studios hoping to break into the European market.

The Korean contingent will share the spotlight with industry giants from around the world.

Microsoft is emphasizing its new portable ROG Xbox Ally, developed with MSI, while offering hands-on play for about 20 titles. Nintendo plans to highlight “Pokémon Legends: Z-A” and a slate of games for its recently launched Switch 2 console.

For Korean game makers, Cologne offers both visibility and validation.

While domestic gaming remains a robust market, the global stage has become increasingly critical, with blockbuster development costs rising and international fandom dictating success or failure.

Netmarbles The Seven Deadly Sins Origin to be showcased at Gamescom 2025 Courtesy of Netmarble — Netmarble's "The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin" to be showcased at Gamescom 2025/ Courtesy of Netmarble

Kim Dong-young davekim0807@ajupress.com