Major South Korean game companies have unveiled their growth strategies at the global gaming event, Gamescom 2026. They are focusing on new titles and genres to solidify their approach to the global market, while also seeking new growth drivers beyond their established intellectual properties (IPs) and core genres. Executives from leading game firms visited the event to observe changes in the global market and user reactions, assessing the market potential and success likelihood of their new releases. This is seen as a step to refine their development and publishing strategies.
As of August 29, the day before the conclusion of Gamescom 2026, major South Korean companies such as Krafton, NC, Pearl Abyss, Kakao Games, and Nexon showcased their new titles and key lineups to bolster their global market strategies. This year's Gamescom is the largest ever, featuring over 1,700 companies from 67 countries. Major global players like Nintendo, Xbox, Ubisoft, and Bandai Namco also participated in large numbers.
South Korean game companies presented a series of new titles at Gamescom. Krafton revealed five new games, including 'PUBG: Deadnet,' a new installment in its flagship PUBG franchise, along with 'NO LAW,' 'Project Zeta,' 'Age Twister,' and 'Tangle: Unbound.'
NC showcased 'Aion 2,' the open-world shooter 'Cinder City,' and the team-based survival FPS 'Like or Die.' Kakao Games introduced the zombie survival game 'God Save Birmingham,' while Nexon operated a booth for 'Ark Raiders,' developed by its Swedish subsidiary Embark Studios, connecting with global users.
Pearl Abyss shared insights into the open-world development process and expertise related to 'Crimson Desert,' which was released in March. They also presented 'Crimson Desert Enhanced,' featuring story improvements and new voice languages, including Arabic subtitles.
The focus of South Korean game companies on Gamescom is influenced by the opportunity to gauge global user reactions and explore overseas business prospects. As Europe's largest gaming show, Gamescom allows direct interaction with North American and European users, while also gathering global publishers, platform operators, and investors to assess new releases and market trends. Notably, 70% of participating companies this year were from outside Germany.
The importance of Gamescom has grown as South Korean companies expand their overseas strategies from a focus on mobile and MMORPGs to include PC and console games, as well as shooting and open-world genres. With an increasing number of new titles targeting the North American and European markets, the need to directly assess local user reactions has become more critical.
Key executives from major game companies, including Kim Jung-wook of Nexon Korea, Kim Chang-han of Krafton, and Sung Jun-ho of Smilegate, visited Gamescom to observe local user reactions and market changes while reviewing future strategies. According to industry sources, Sung Jun-ho stated at the event, "This is an opportunity to discuss business prospects with global partners and directly gauge user reactions to our new titles. It will also be a good opportunity for preparing the global launch of our upcoming titles scheduled for next year and beyond."
Through Gamescom, South Korean game companies have also solidified their global market strategies. Krafton outlined its vision for publishing by continuously developing global franchises following PUBG. They plan to broaden their next franchise candidates through new genre challenges, collaborations with external creative studios, and reinterpretations of existing IPs.
NC is accelerating its genre expansion from its existing MMORPG-focused portfolio. With 'Aion 2,' 'Cinder City,' and 'Like or Die,' they are venturing into the shooting genre. Pearl Abyss is pushing for long-term IP development by expanding content following the release of 'Crimson Desert.'
Meanwhile, Pearl Abyss was nominated for 'Best PC Game' and 'Most Epic' at the Gamescom Awards for 'Crimson Desert,' raising expectations, but ultimately did not win any awards.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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