[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] G-STAR is setting out to expand its scope by featuring overseas game companies and conferences on artificial intelligence (AI), webtoons, mobility, and global creators. The strategy is to break away from the traditional model—which relied on new game releases from major domestic game companies—and transform into a comprehensive gaming festival that combines games, technology, content, and culture.

◇ G-STAR: Increasing Content Connections Beyond Gaming

On the 29th, the G-STAR Organizing Committee released additional floor plans and key content details for “G-STAR 2026,” scheduled to take place this November. Major booths will be set up by the main sponsor, the AI story creation platform “Crack,” as well as KRAFTON, Hoyoverse, Google Play, Webzen Inc., and Team 42.

Participation from overseas game companies has also expanded. At the BTC Hall 2, Japanese companies Koei Tecmo and Sega, China’s NetEase Games, and Poland’s CD Projekt Red will set up booths. As global game companies fill the void left by major domestic game companies, the proportion of overseas game companies—including those from South Korea, China, and Japan—has increased.

The event is also expanding its connections with content outside the gaming industry. G-STAR is collaborating with the webtoon “Yumi’s Cells” and will showcase mobility experience content in partnership with HyundaiMotor. The plan is to attract not only gamers but also content fans and family audiences.

The global game conference “G-CON” is also being expanded. This year’s main themes are “Narrative” and “AI.” Speakers include film directors Jang Hang-jun and Lee Byung-hun, “Yumi’s Cells” webtoon artist Lee Dong-geon, and “Inside Out 2” senior animator Kim Hye-sook. Director Shoji Kawamori of the “Macross” anime series, Kim Yong-ha, Head of the IO Division at NEXON Games, and the development team behind PearlAbyss Corp.’s “Red Desert” will also participate. Director Kawamori and Mr. Kim are scheduled to discuss the creation and expansion of intellectual property (IP) that is beloved across generations.

Indie games and esports will also be major focal points. The “G-STAR Indie Showcase 2.0: GALAXY,” featuring 250 booths, will host 106 indie developers from Korea and abroad. The “Overwatch Champions Series Asia Stage 3 Grand Final 2026” will take place at the BEXCO Auditorium for the first time in three years. The B2B hall will strengthen its networking and investment attraction capabilities in collaboration with Amazon Ads, Twitch, and Microsoft (MS). A special Steam page and the online showcase “G-STAR Premier” will also be featured.

◇G-STAR: Major Game Companies Are Pulling Out

Behind these changes lies a shift in how major domestic game companies participate. Until now, G-Star’s success has been driven by major game companies’ new releases and hands-on booths. For users, it was a festival where they could experience upcoming year-end releases in advance, while for game companies, it served as a showcase to gauge audience reaction to their new titles.

However, as the revenue focus of domestic game companies has shifted overseas and the emphasis has moved from mobile to PC and console blockbusters, development periods have lengthened. Game companies are also increasingly opting for overseas exhibitions—such as the Tokyo Game Show and Gamescom—over domestic events. This year, speculation that the so-called “3N+K”—Nexon, NCSoft, Netmarble Corporation, and KRAFTON—would all skip the event sparked controversy over “G-STAR snubbing.” KRAFTON later confirmed its participation.

Netmarble Corporation Chairman Jun-hyuk Bang stated on the 18th at the Tokyo Game Show, “We participate based on our game strategy and market and marketing strategies; there is absolutely no such thing as a ‘G-Star pass’ or anything like that.”

The organizing committee maintains that it intends to move away from a structure where the event’s success hinges on whether specific major game companies exhibit their new titles.

Jeong Seung-woo, Director of Business Operations for the G-STAR Organizing Committee, acknowledged, “Since G-STAR is an exhibition targeting domestic game users, it is true that the direction and frequency of game companies’ participation have changed.” However, he added, “The lineup we unveiled on the 29th demonstrates a balance among game companies from Korea, China, and Japan, and G-CON is also set to feature a rich program with the participation of leading creators from the global content industry, so we hope for a lot of interest.”