Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show Draws 219,546 as Business Attendance Rises 24%

Bangkok show grows beyond the exhibition floor

Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show welcomed 219,546 attendees from 113 countries to Bangkok from October 29 to November 1, 2026, while its business programme grew faster than its exhibitor count. The event brought 6,923 business visitors to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, up from 5,590 in 2025, with 51% coming from outside Thailand.

Organisers called it their most international edition yet. Across 38,519 square metres, the show hosted 335 exhibitors and pavilions from a record 29 countries, alongside 582 exhibited games. Independent developers accounted for 347 of those titles, putting smaller studios behind nearly six out of every 10 games on display.

The organisers' closing press release also recorded close to 34 million views of livestreams and digital content, extending the event's reach beyond people attending in Bangkok. Its attendance and exhibition figures were preliminary as of 7:30 p.m. on November 1 and may change.

The clearest development was the expansion of the show's business activity alongside its public attractions. Developers sought publishing partners, investors met studios, and Thai games appeared in both the business and entertainment areas. Visitors could also try major releases, browse licensed merchandise and attend performances.

Business attendance rises by 1,333

The business area operated on October 29 and 30, attracting 1,333 more visitors than in 2025. That increase works out to about 24%, compared with growth of about 14% in exhibitors and pavilions, whose number rose from 294 to 335.

Xsolla sponsored the Invest Circle and VIP XPerience, which connected 509 developers, publishers and investors, up from 418 a year earlier. The additional 91 participants represented growth of about 22%. These programmes bring together people who create games, companies that can help release them and investors who may provide funding.

John Romero, the DOOM co-creator and id Software co-founder, headlined a conference featuring 81 speakers from 27 countries across four stages. The programme placed industry discussion alongside the meetings and playable demonstrations taking place elsewhere at the venue.

Mathias Kuepper, managing director and regional president for Asia Pacific at organiser Koelnmesse, described Southeast Asia as an active destination for games business:

That tells the global industry that Southeast Asia is no longer a market to watch. It is a market to be in, and this is where deals get done.

The organisers did not disclose the number or value of agreements signed at the event. The business figures describe attendance and participation, while the financial results of those meetings remain undisclosed.

International participation takes several forms

Exhibitors based outside Thailand made up 64% of the total. Twenty national pavilions, government agencies and industry delegations represented 12 markets, creating places where companies from the same country could present their work and meet potential partners.

Pavilions came from Austria, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand and the United States. Their presence connected neighbouring Southeast Asian industries with businesses from Europe, East Asia and North America.

Business visitors came from 78 countries, compared with 81 in 2025, even as their total number increased. The record international exhibitor reach and larger business audience therefore developed alongside a slightly smaller spread of countries among business visitors.

Project director Daria La Velle described the show's current focus as serving Southeast Asia's games industry and fans, with a longer ambition to cover all of Asia. She said bringing the Gamescom experience closer to audiences in Asia Pacific addressed the relatively limited attendance from that region at Gamescom in Germany.

Studios pitch games, while publishers pitch funding plans

Thirteen finalists took part in the Pitch Competition, presenting their projects for recognition in visual design, game design and audience anticipation. MiMu Studio's Little Old One and the Witch won Best Visual, while NOTAI Games' Slop Capital took Best Game Design.

Hypercent Inc.'s Backroom Cleaners received the Most Anticipated Game award, decided by an audience vote. The three categories gave different kinds of work a chance to stand out, from a game's appearance to its design and its ability to attract potential players.

Publishers including PlaySide, Focus Entertainment, Fireshine Games and Team17 participated in the Reverse Pitch. Instead of developers alone asking companies to support their projects, publishers explained directly to developers what they wanted to fund next.

For a studio deciding where to take a game, that format provides practical information about potential partners. A publisher's interests can help a team decide whether a funding discussion is worth pursuing before spending time preparing a detailed proposal.

Thai developers share the stage with student teams

Thailand's Digital Economy Promotion Agency, known as depa, and the Thai Game Association brought more than 90 Thai games to the Thai Playvilion. The display reached people in both the business and entertainment areas, giving local developers access to industry contacts as well as players.

Dr Supakorn Siddhichai, acting president and chief executive of depa, described the scale of that participation in the organisers' distributed closing statement:

Together with the Thai Game Association, we brought over 90 Thai games to the Thai Playvilion, reaching developers, industry partners and gaming fans across both the business and entertainment areas.

Supakorn said the response had opened doors to new partnerships. Separately, the Thai Game Association's Asia Game Talent Showcase featured 20 games made by students from across Asia, placing emerging creators within an event attended by publishers and established developers.

Thai titles drawing visitor interest included Shadow Of Ayudhya, Lost And Found Co. and Dancing With Ghost. An attendee's description of busy booths around these games added a practical picture of local participation: Thai projects were attracting people on the exhibition floor as well as appearing in the official programme.

Independent games make up most of the title count

The event's combined business and entertainment areas featured 582 exhibited titles, including 347 from independent developers. That leaves 235 titles outside the independent category and gives independent teams roughly 60% of the total.

The organisers' website listed 470 games in the entertainment area, while their distributed release put that area's figure at 582. Both versions gave 582 as the total across the business and entertainment areas in their closing statistics.

Major participating brands included Bandai Namco Entertainment, CAPCOM, Nintendo Switch 2 by Synnex, PlayStation by Gameshop Concept Store, Riot Games, SEGA, The Pokémon Company and Ubisoft. Their presence put internationally recognised franchises alongside projects from smaller teams.

The organisers listed unreleased titles including Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, Persona 4 Revival, Silver Palace, Stranger than Heaven and Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000 among the attractions. For visitors, the programme combined opportunities to discover unfamiliar games with access to titles carrying established names.

Popular booths bring long waits

Nintendo and Bandai Namco drew strong interest on the public floor, where demonstrations, promotional activities and giveaways competed for visitors' time. Activities included trying games, taking photographs and completing social media actions in exchange for items such as paper bags, paper hats and key rings.

An attendee described waits of around 30 minutes to an hour at some booths and nearly 90 minutes to try The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at Nintendo's booth. Those experiences show how a busy exhibition could turn a short play session into a substantial part of a visitor's day.

Licensed merchandise added another reason to explore the venue. Products included character plush toys, gaming equipment and other accessories. The combination of queues, shopping and demonstrations meant visitors faced choices about how much of the large exhibition they could cover.

ACE debut expands the entertainment programme

ACE, the Anime Asia Comics Content Entertainment Expo, made its debut within the entertainment area. Its inclusion brought a pop culture festival into a programme already built around games, performances and fan activities.

Nene Royal, identified by organisers as the winner of America's Got Talent 2026, performed the event's theme song at the Grand Opening Ceremony. The Thailand Game Awards named CAPCOM's Pragmata Game of the Year, while the cosplay competition awarded THB 300,000 in prizes.

The show also recorded 720 media partners, influencers and press. Livestreams and digital content accumulated close to 34 million views across platforms, giving people outside Bangkok access to parts of the event and its games.

The entertainment programme ran from October 30 to November 1, overlapping with the second business day. That schedule brought the professional and public sides together on October 30 before the final two days concentrated on entertainment.

The next Bangkok edition is set for October 2027

Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show is scheduled to return to Bangkok from October 21 to 24, 2027. The announced dates give exhibitors, developers and visitors a fixed window for planning the next edition.

The event's recent schedule and next confirmed dates are:

• 2025: The show recorded 5,590 business visitors, 294 exhibitors and pavilions, and 418 Invest Circle and VIP XPerience participants.
• October 29, 2026: The 2026 event opened in Bangkok, with the business area operating through October 30.
• October 30 to November 1, 2026: The entertainment area welcomed visitors, with the full event closing on November 1.
• October 21 to 24, 2027: The next edition is scheduled to take place in Bangkok.

The 2026 results give the next edition a larger business audience and exhibitor base to build upon. They also show the breadth of the event's audience, from students presenting their first projects to international publishers and fans waiting to play a favourite game.

Key Points

• Organisers recorded 219,546 attendees from 113 countries over four days in Bangkok.
• Business attendance rose about 24%, from 5,590 in 2025 to 6,923 in 2026.
• The show hosted 335 exhibitors and pavilions from 29 countries; 64% were based outside Thailand.
• Independent developers accounted for 347 of the 582 exhibited games.
• More than 90 Thai games and 20 student projects featured in dedicated showcases.
• Livestreams and digital content drew close to 34 million views.
• The next Bangkok edition is scheduled for October 21 to 24, 2027.