Korean game studios head to Gamescom with diverse titles

Visitors attend the Gamescom video game trade fair in Cologne, Germany, Aug. 22, 2024. AFP-Yonhap

Korean game studios are gearing up to showcase new titles across various genres at the world’s largest game exhibition, Gamescom, presenting playable versions and fresh trailers to appeal to global gamers.

Gamescom 2025 will run from Wednesday to Sunday (local time) in Cologne, Germany, with its opening night live event scheduled for Tuesday. The total number of participating companies is expected to exceed 1,500, up 10 percent from a year earlier, with applications received from more than 60 countries.

From Korea, Krafton, Pearl Abyss, Netmarble, NCSOFT and a number of other top game studios will participate, showcasing a wider variety of genres compared to previous years.

Participating for the third time this year, Krafton will unveil the first downloadable content (DLC) for its life simulator inZOI and present the Mac version of the title.

A promotional image of Krafton’s first downloadable content for inZOI / Courtesy of Krafton

The DLC, titled "Island Getaway," will feature the new Chahaya map, inspired by Southeast Asian resorts. With its exotic landscapes where nature harmonizes with a laid-back lifestyle, the map is designed to offer players a refreshing and unique gameplay experience.

For its PUBG: Battlegrounds intellectual property, the company will also allow visitors to test PUBG: BLINDSPOT, a 5-vs-5 tactical shooting game. Along with intense gunfights, the title is gaining interest with its unique strategic gameplay based on a top-down view.

A gameplay scene from Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert / Captured from YouTube

Pearl Abyss plans to showcase a new demo of its highly anticipated title, Crimson Desert.

Last year, the company attracted attention for the game’s fast-paced action in a boss battle demo, and this time it will present a new quest demo that allows players to experience the open world play of the title.

Crimson Desert was initially scheduled to roll out in the fourth quarter of this year, but the company said in its recent earnings call that the release would be delayed to the first quarter of next year.

A promotional image of Netmarble’s Mongil: Star Dive / Courtesy of Netmarble

Netmarble will showcase its new cross-platform action role-playing game, Mongil: Star Dive, in collaboration with Samsung Electronics. At the Samsung booth, Netmarble will offer visitors a hands-on experience of the game through Samsung’s Odyssey 3D gaming monitor.

NCSOFT will offer a glimpse of its new titles, including AION 2, LLL and Blade & Soul Heroes, in a closed-door showcase event.

AION 2, a sequel to the company’s 2008 hit title AION, is under development as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game featuring more action-oriented gameplay, including expansive player-versus-environment content, a manual control-based combat system and enhanced freedom of aerial movement.

Ocean Drive Studio, a subsidiary of Kakao Games, will showcase God Save Birmingham, a zombie survival simulator set in the 14th century medieval English city of Birmingham. Unlike conventional zombie games that feature modern firearms, the title draws attention for its unique concept of using authentic medieval tools.