Korean Game Companies Head to Germany Targeting North American and European Markets

Krafton, NCSoft, Pearl Abyss, and Others to Participate
Booth Displays and Video Showcases...
Promoting Brand Awareness and New Titles

South Korean game companies are heading to Cologne, Germany next month to participate in 'Gamescom 2025'. As Gamescom is now widely regarded as having fully replaced the void left by the American 'E3', which was one of the world's three major game shows before disappearing after COVID-19, these companies are aiming to use the event as a stepping stone for overseas market expansion.

Crafton 'Gamescom 2025' Booth Image. Photo by Crafton

According to the gaming industry on July 23, Crafton, NCSoft, Pearl Abyss, and Kakao Games will participate in Gamescom this year.

As of 2023, Gamescom serves as a major promotional venue for game companies targeting the North American and European markets, which together account for 52% of the global gaming market. An industry insider stated, "As companies are ramping up their overseas expansion efforts, Gamescom is a great opportunity to gauge reactions to new titles and build brand recognition."

Until now, Korean game companies have mainly participated with PC online and mobile games, making it difficult to stand out in Western markets where console games dominate. In many cases, they only submitted videos without setting up a booth. However, in recent years, as investments in console game development have increased, these companies are starting to make an impression. In 2022, Neowiz won three awards at the Gamescom Awards with 'Lies of P', and last year, Nexon's 'First Berserker: Khazan' received favorable reviews.

Crafton, participating in Gamescom for the third time this year, will unveil 'Chahaya', the first downloadable content for its life simulation game 'Inzoi'. Inzoi surpassed 1 million copies sold within a week of its early access release on Steam in March. Chahaya is a new map for the game, inspired by Southeast Asian resort destinations. In addition, Crafton will showcase the strategy shooting game 'Blind Spot' and operate a themed booth related to its flagship title 'Battlegrounds (PUBG)'.

Pearl Abyss will highlight its open-world action-adventure game 'Crimson Desert'. The game features high-quality, near-photorealistic graphics and a high degree of gameplay freedom, made possible by the company's proprietary 'BlackSpace' engine. This new title, which Pearl Abyss has been developing for six years since 'Black Desert', is scheduled for release in the second half of this year. Following Gamescom, 'Crimson Desert' will also be showcased at 'Tokyo Game Show 2025', which will be held in September at Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan.

Kakao Games is presenting 'God Save Birmingham', developed by its subsidiary Ocean Drive Studio. Although the game was first unveiled at Gamescom last year, it is being exhibited again this year to further refine it based on feedback from on-site interactions. The game is an open-world zombie survival simulator set in medieval Birmingham, Europe. Instead of modern firearms, players use medieval European tools such as pitchforks, axes, and logging equipment as weapons to fight zombies.

NCSoft's North American subsidiary, NC America, will set up a booth in the 'B2B section'. Here, the company will hold closed demonstrations of its highly anticipated MMORPG 'Aion 2', scheduled for release in the second half of the year, as well as 'LLL', a new title that combines shooting gameplay with MMO elements. These showcases will be presented in a VIP format for global partners and industry insiders.

In addition, OneWayTicket Studio, a subsidiary of Wemade Max, will present its new extraction shooter 'Midnight Walkers' at the 'Korea Pavilion' B2C (business-to-consumer) exhibition hall, operated by the Korea Creative Content Agency. Netmarble is expected to unveil major new titles via video during the 'Opening Night Live (ONL)' event, which takes place on the eve of the show. The company is reportedly still deciding which titles to present.

An industry insider commented, "Although it is difficult to quantify the promotional impact, the sheer scale of the event and the large presence of international media make it advantageous for exposure," adding, "It is also beneficial to observe new releases from other companies and keep track of industry trends."