Korean Game Companies Focus on Tokyo Game Show... Expanding Subculture Frontiers

Nexon, NC, Netmarble, Smilegate and Others to Attend
Showcasing Subculture and Japanese IP-based Games

Korean game companies are heading to the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) in Japan following their participation at Gamescom in Germany. With the trend of increased international participation, their strategy is to expand touchpoints with global users in Japan—renowned as the home of subculture—and accelerate their efforts to penetrate the local market.

Aerial view of NC's 'Astrae Oratio' booth participating in 'Tokyo Game Show 2026.' Provided by NC

According to the game industry as of September 11, Nexon, NC, Netmarble, Smilegate, NHN, and Shift Up are set to participate in 'TGS 2026', which will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, starting on September 17.

Nexon will unveil the first demo version of its new bishoujo game "Pareidolia," a new title developed by Nexon Games—the studio behind "Blue Archive." Nexon will also showcase "Mabinogi Mobile," a proven intellectual property (IP). NC will host a dedicated booth for a first trial of the new subculture RPG “Astraea Oratio,” developed by Dynamis One. Through a partnership with Samsung Electronics, visitors can try the game on the Galaxy S26 Ultra and experience life-size 3D character projections using Samsung’s proprietary 3D plate technology via "spatial signage."

Netmarble plans to disclose "Pearl in Blue," an unannounced subculture collectible RPG, together with titles utilizing popular Japanese IPs: "Shangri-La Frontier: The Seven Supreme Species" and "Solo Leveling: Karma." Smilegate is exhibiting the collectible RPG "Miraesi: Invisible Future" and the team roguelite RPG "Dead Account: Two Blue Flames."

Shift Up is targeting the Japanese market with the Nintendo Switch 2 version of "Stellar Blade Complete Edition." NHN, through its Japanese subsidiary NHN PlayArt, will present booths for three new titles, including the puzzle RPG "Touken Ranbu Puzzlegiri." In addition, Ironmace will lead with "Dark and Darker," while Project Moon aims to capture local fandom with "Limbus Company."

Smilegate Participates in 'Tokyo Game Show 2026' with 'Dead Account: Two Blue Flames' and 'Mureci: Invisible Future'. Provided by Smilegate

The reason why Korean game companies are unveiling a flurry of new subculture titles at TGS is that positive reviews in Japan can swiftly lead to success in Korea as well as globally. "Blue Archive" and "Goddess of Victory: NIKKE" are often cited as success stories. The subculture market’s continued growth is another factor. According to global research firm Market Research Intellect, the subculture game market, which was valued at 20.9 billion dollars (approximately 30 trillion won) in 2023, is projected to grow to 48.5 billion dollars (about 71 trillion won) by 2031.

In particular, the 30th anniversary of TGS this year offers an abundance of attractions. In keeping with its scale, with 759 companies from around the world participating, the event will feature a diverse range of unique developers—including Venezuela’s indie studio Sukeban Games, known internationally for the cyberpunk bartender game "VA-11 HALL-A." The "TGS Creator Lounge," in partnership with Twitch, will support creative activities by on-site influencers, while the outdoor food court will present "30x Bomb Menu" and other special eats for visitors.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.