As participation from major game companies declines amid changes in the domestic gaming industry, the G-Star organizing committee is taking a proactive approach by emphasizing its own content. Instead of relying solely on large booths set up by participating companies to attract visitors, the committee is enhancing its 'in-house distribution network' to promote games from both domestic and international developers online and offline.
According to industry sources, the G-Star organizing committee recently unveiled the layout and key programs for G-Star 2026.
A notable aspect of this year's G-Star is the content directly planned by the organizing committee. Traditionally, G-Star has focused on attracting general visitors to large booths and new game demonstrations at the Busan BEXCO BTC Hall (for general consumers), while also hosting a separate BTB Hall (for businesses) and various side events.
However, this year, the committee has integrated its global game showcase, online showcase, and global platform promotions into a cohesive strategy. This approach not only gathers games at the exhibition but also introduces them online, expanding the scope of content beyond just gaming and broadening user engagement both at the event and online.
The participation of Crack, an AI character conversation service from AI software company Lutten Technologies, as the main sponsor exemplifies this expansion of content beyond gaming. Crack is the first non-gaming company to take on the role of main sponsor at G-Star, setting up a large booth of over 100 spaces in the first exhibition hall.
Industry insiders report that Lutten Technologies is also exploring ways to showcase its content service capabilities while expanding its engagement with gaming users attending G-Star.
The committee's experience in running G-Star online during the COVID-19 pandemic and its ability to attract overseas game companies and global creators through programs like G-CON have laid the groundwork for this year's expansion of online and offline content.
When the initial outline for G-Star 2026 was revealed in August, there were significant concerns in the industry. Major domestic game companies such as Nexon, NCSoft, and Netmarble were not included in the first list of participants. This reflects a shift in the industry as domestic game companies focus more on expanding their primary platforms from mobile to PC and console, while also targeting overseas markets like North America, leading to a reduced emphasis on participating in domestic game shows.
In response to these industry changes, the organizing committee has outlined 'expansion of reach' and 'in-house content enhancement' as this year's operational direction.
As G-Star has taken shape over the past two months, it has become evident that game content has been strengthened. Krafton, which was not on the initial list, will also join the first exhibition hall alongside Crack, Hoyoverse, Google Play, Webzen, and Team 42, setting up large booths.
Notably, the second exhibition hall will feature the inaugural 'Global Game Showcase' directly organized by G-Star. Companies such as Sega, Koei Tecmo Games, NetEase Games, and CD Projekt Red will showcase major titles like 'Total War: Warhammer 40,000', 'Nioh 3', and 'Yunwon'. The indie showcase has also expanded to include 106 companies and 250 booths, collaborating with Devolver Digital and Unity to present a variety of indie games.
The offline exhibition will lead into online promotions. A special G-Star promotion page on Steam will highlight participating titles and indie games to global users, and an online showcase called 'G-Star Premier' will introduce major new releases and participating titles the day before the event opens on November 18.
The industry is watching to see if G-Star, which has historically relied on the participation of large game companies to determine its scale and appeal, can secure new competitiveness by increasing its own curated content and expanding user engagement both online and offline.
An industry insider stated, “This G-Star is broadening its scope beyond domestic games to include various content from overseas game companies, and we are considering how to operate the booths on-site. While we cannot yet predict the actual scene, we are hopeful that this will attract a new user demographic.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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