Domestic small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and indie game developers will set out to open up global markets at 'Gamescom 2026,' the world's largest game exhibition held in Germany at the end of this month. Featuring various genres and platforms—from PC and console to mobile, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR)-based experiential content—they will meet European publishers, investors, and users.
The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) will operate the Korea Pavilion 'Korea Game Roadshow' at Gamescom 2026 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, from Aug. 26 to 28. A total of 13 domestic SME game and content companies will participate in the Korea Pavilion this year.
The joint pavilion will be set up in the B2B exhibition area in Hall 3 of Koelnmesse. KOCCA will support game demonstrations and user testing at participating companies' booths and arrange one-on-one business consultations targeting overseas publishers, investors, and distributors. It aims to drive practical business outcomes such as publishing contract agreements, investment attraction, and securing local distribution networks in overseas markets, including Europe.
The exhibited titles range from PC and console-oriented games to mobile and kiosk-based experiential content. A-Button will showcase 'Guns & Dragons,' an FPS roguelite combining firearms and magic. It features combat against swarming enemies using various character and weapon combinations. Hypersent will introduce 'Backroom Cleaners,' a cooperative horror survival game where teams of up to four explore unknown spaces.
In addition, Geniesoft's 'Late Night Study,' Nbox Games' 'The Magical Girl Next Door,' Hardcoders' 'Semo,' Mayfly's 'Project Revenant,' and Emotionwave's 'MU DRUM' are also preparing to welcome global customers.
Mobile games are also knocking on the European market. Nanalinow's 'Forest Island' is an idle healing game where players decorate an island with more than 200 species of animals. N double U's 'COPY IT' is a social network game where users utilize photographed objects as in-game content. MyTurn will present 'Larva Survival: Evolution,' which reinterprets the animation intellectual property (IP) 'Larva' into a casual survival RPG.
Game technology and experiential content will also take place in the joint pavilion. Two Hands Interactive's 'DIDIM' is a solution that recognizes user movement with LiDAR sensors to let users enjoy indoor exercise without separate wearable devices. Devunlimit's 'Chum Chum' is a K-pop dance coaching kiosk where AI analyzes user movement to provide real-time feedback. Ludens will exhibit 'Pandor,' an AI-based 3D creation engine that can produce 3D content in a browser without separate installation and implement it as XR content.
This year's joint pavilion also adjusted the exhibition environment based on the experience of participating in Gamescom last year. It reflected demands for improvement raised on-site last year, such as booth structure and visitor accessibility.
The National Assembly will also visit the Gamescom site for the first time. Representative Cho Seoung-lae of the Democratic Party of Korea, as head of the delegation, along with Representative Kim Seong-hoe of the Democratic Party of Korea, Representative Jeong Yeon-wook of the People Power Party, and Representative Lee Hae-min of the Rebuilding Korea Party, are scheduled to observe the event. It is expected to be an opportunity to check the competitiveness of not only large domestic game companies but also SMEs and indie developers directly challenging overseas markets, as well as the difficulties they experience during global expansion.
Gamescom 2026 will lift its curtain on Aug. 24 with the developer conference 'Gamescom Dev.' Following the eve event 'Opening Night Live' on Aug. 25, the main exhibition will take place at Koelnmesse from Aug. 26 to 30.
“To help domestic SME game companies secure competitiveness in the global game market, we have introduced the overseas user evaluation project to gather feedback from local users,” said Kim Seong-jun, KOCCA head of the Game and Future Technology Division. “By operating B2C and B2B programs at Gamescom, the world's largest game exhibition, we will support promising developers so they can directly communicate with users in new markets and lower barriers to global expansion.”
