G-Star, South Korea’s largest gaming expo, aims for a comeback this year after facing criticism in 2025 for the absence of major gaming companies and high-ranking government officials. Global gaming giants are converging on Busan to showcase their latest releases, and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism has confirmed attendance at the opening ceremony.
Industry sources report that G-Star 2026 will run from November 19 to 22 at BEXCO in Busan.
Unlike last year, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism is expected to attend this year’s event.
During a National Assembly audit on October 23, Minister Choi Hwi-young stated that he has promised the gaming industry that he’ll definitely attend, as he fortunately have no conflicting schedule with the National Assembly this year.
The absence of both the Minister and Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism at last year’s opening ceremony led to allegations of neglect.
Some industry insiders are hopeful for a visit from President Lee Jae Myung, who has demonstrated commitment to fostering the gaming industry since taking office, including hosting a K-game industry roundtable. While there were speculations about his attendance last year, only Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae made appearances.
This year’s G-Star is set to showcase its evolution into a global gaming event through its exhibition layout.
The confirmed participant list includes industry heavyweights like Krafton, Webzen, HoYoverse, and Google Play occupying large booths in the main hall. The second hall will host five major international developers: Capcom, Sega, Koei Tecmo, NetEase Games, and CD Projekt Red (CDPR). NetEase Games will have a presence in both halls.
Capcom, the latest addition, will set up approximately 35 booths to debut their upcoming titles, Rockman: Dual Override and Monster Hunter: Wiles Ascendancy, in Korea. Sega plans to showcase, Total War: Warhammer 40,000, Crazy Taxi: World Tour, and Football Manager 27.
Koei Tecmo will demonstrate Nioh 3 and Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember. NetEase Games will present Yunwon and Once Human, while CDPR prepares a showcase for The Witcher 3 and an immersive experience for Cyberpunk 2077.
The indie showcase will feature 106 developers across 250 booths.
In a first for G-Star, an AI service called Crack has signed on as the main sponsor.
Among domestic companies, Krafton and Webzen will operate booths. Other major Korean game developers will participate in various ways without large exhibition spaces.
Krafton’s lineup includes PUBG: Battlegrounds, Tare: Unbound, Age Twister, Waltz & Jam, and Temppal Hero, offering hands-on demos and interactive experiences.
Webzen will unveil a playable demo of its strategy RPG, The Tyrant of the Defense Game: Last Stage, based on a popular Naver Webtoon intellectual property (IP).
Smilegate will showcase its new title, Mirashi: The Invisible Future, at the Google Play booth in the main hall.
Nexon is set to host the Overwatch Champions Series Asia finals, a major esports event, at the Bexco Auditorium for the first time in three years.
While not directly exhibiting new titles, NCSoft will operate a Startup with NC booth, supporting Superjoy and Genisoft’s participation in the business-to-consumer (B2C) exhibition.
Pearl Abyss and Neowiz will take part in the separate 2026 Game Culture Festival, with Pearl Abyss’s Crimson Desert development team presenting at the official G-CON conference.
Netmarble stands out as the only major Korean developer not participating in this year’s G-Star.
However, Netmarble Chairman Bang Jun-hyuk clarified at the Tokyo Game Show last month that the absence from G-Star isn’t due to any issues. Its current lineup targets Japanese users, and it bases the participation in game shows on the strategic and marketing plans.
