While several major Western expos are struggling to win their audiences back, Bangkok paints a very different picture of the games industry. For its latest edition, held from 29 October to 1 November 2026, Gamescom Asia, now merged with the Thailand Game Show, pulled in an impressive crowd at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Queues from the moment the doors opened, packed aisles, cosplayers in every corner of the hall and a thoroughly festive mood: the Thai public turned out in force, and the spectacle alone is worth the trip. That was what struck us the second we arrived. Before the doors had even opened, visitors were already waiting in numbers at the show's four entrances, patiently, politely and in the order they'd arrived. Once inside, the feeling was quickly confirmed: the atmosphere recalls the Tokyo Game Show, with its lavishly decorated stands and spectacular lighting, but in a more relaxed, spontaneous and approachable setting. Cosplay plays a big part, visitors took their time posing in front of the installations, and the activities drew a steady stream of people.
A buzz that's a joy to see (and to be part of)
That turnout extended right up to the publishers' stands, whoever they were. Wuthering Waves, the Chinese free-to-play action RPG, was one of the show's biggest draws, with a queue spilling well beyond its play area. Proof that Kuro Games' title enjoys a solid community across Asia, far beyond the Chinese market alone. A reality that once again reminds us that Asian tastes don't always line up with the trends seen in Europe or the United States. The big international publishers showed up too. Ubisoft had a space devoted to Rayman Legends Retold, along with a few playable stations for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, its other remake. Nintendo, meanwhile, was showing off several Zelda products, including a collector's edition Switch 2 in Ocarina of Time colours, while Pokémon greeted visitors with kiosks and goodies. PlayStation was also on hand with a number of games, such as Wolverine, Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 and Phantom Blade Zero, playable on PS5 Pro, not to mention a host of special edition accessories and controllers. There were DualSense pads inspired by Lisa of Blackpink, Gran Turismo and GTA 6, which obviously caught our eye. We were also taken with the Pulse Elevate speakers we'd tried out in London several months back, whose sound is seriously impressive. And finally, there was the Wolverine-themed PS5 console.
The show also gave a sense of just how much weight Asian players carry in this industry. Japanese veterans like Capcom, SEGA and Bandai Namco occupied sizeable spaces, but Riot Games (now 100% Chinese-owned) really captured players' attention with League of Legends and Valorant, and several regional productions enjoyed a level of exposure rarely seen at the big European events. The presence of John Romero, who came to meet fans and sign Doom and Wolfenstein posters, is further testament to the event's international standing.
Asian studios in the spotlight
But perhaps the most interesting aspect of this edition was over on the indie side. Several rows of stations were given over entirely to studios and creators, with student projects, games built by small teams and little-known Thai titles all playable right there. The layout encouraged conversations with the developers and, above all, made it easy to hop from one game to the next. The public turned out for these too, including for titles that don't have the marketing muscle of the big productions. Malaysia also made the most of the shop window that is gamescom Asia. The MDEC stand showcased several local studios, among them Metronomik, known for No Straight Roads, with its next game Ondeh Ondeh. Published by Bandai Namco and due in 2027, it draws on Malaysian culture right down to its culinary inspiration. A way of giving these games an identity of their own and revealing another side of Asian creativity. Because that's exactly how China managed to make its craft count on the international stage.
Our walk around the show floor also turned up Muay Thai Extreme, an MMA-inspired fighting game due in Q2 2027. Its booth even featured a ring where visitors could train with a coach who was giving it everything he had. As for the game itself, this is a title without huge resources behind it (somewhere between indie and AA), and it's still in development. We could see that its animations still lack a certain naturalness, but we hope the studio manages to find its audience. The programme wasn't limited to video games, either. The main stage also hosted musical performances, including a thirty-minute set by the winner of America's Got Talent, the now-famous Nene Royal, real name Rattikarn "Praew" Amloy, and all of 16 years old. A musical interlude that fed into the show's festive atmosphere and was a reminder that Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show also wanted to put on a genuine spectacle for its visitors, beyond the demos and the booths.
For Fabien Pellegrini, who was alongside me covering the show, the success of gamescom Asia X Thailand Game Show also comes down to this blend of Western and Asian productions. Fabien pointed to Lost and Found, a hidden object game that drew visitors across several areas (the Nintendo booth, the indie booth, the B2B corner), as well as Finding Ghosts and its world inspired by Thai culture. These are games finding their audience next to international titles like Dave the Diver, and it's precisely that coexistence that gives the show its particular identity. gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show doesn't just import the big video game brands to Bangkok: it gives local studios real visibility and brings together a crowd on the hunt for their next game. At a time when some Western shows are still looking for a second wind, the energy on display in Thailand is well worth a closer look from here on in.
