G-STAR 2026, South Korea's largest gaming expo, has suffered a blow to its prestige as major domestic game companies pulled out one after another. The event's flagship main sponsorship went not to a game company but to AI startup Wrtn Technologies, while Chinese game companies filled the void left by Korean firms.
The G-STAR Organizing Committee held a press conference at COEX in Seoul's Gangnam district on the 13th, officially announcing the main programs, exhibition hall layout and operating policies for this year's event.
"This year, we selected 'Crack,' an AI-based story growth platform from Wrtn Technologies, a partner leading the expansion of our digital reach, as the main sponsor," said Jeong Seung-woo, a director at the organizing committee. It is the first time since G-STAR was first held in 2005 that a non-gaming company, rather than a game development or service firm, has served as the main sponsor. The committee added that it had discussed the main sponsorship with a number of domestic and international game companies, but that Wrtn Technologies showed the most active and sincere attitude.
Addressing the controversy over a non-gaming company serving as main sponsor, Jeong said, "I find it hard to agree with the notion that only game companies should participate as sponsors just because this is a gaming exhibition," adding, "Please also consider cases such as Rolex serving as the main sponsor of tennis tournaments like Wimbledon, or Hyundai Motor recently serving as a main sponsor of the World Cup."
The so-called "3N" — Nexon, Netmarble and NCSOFT — along with Krafton (259960.KS) and other leading Korean game companies were largely absent from the list of participants, not only in the business-to-consumer (B2C) section but also in the business-to-business (B2B) booths. Chinese gaming giants such as HoYoverse, NetEase's Joker Studio, Bilibili and Century Games set up booths in the B2C exhibition hall, filling the gap left by domestic firms.
The committee dismissed concerns that the absence of major game companies would weaken the event's competitiveness. "There simply aren't many new titles that major game companies can unveil at G-STAR," said Cho Young-ki, chairman of the organizing committee, stressing that "as overseas revenue takes up a larger share, creating an event that satisfies visitors matters more than the nationality of participating companies." He left open the possibility of additional participants, noting that talks with some domestic game companies are still being finalized.
Contrary to the committee's explanation, however, major Korean game companies have confirmed their participation in Gamescom, the world's largest gaming expo, held in Germany later this month, and in the Tokyo Game Show in Japan next month. Krafton and NCSOFT plan to unveil five and three new titles, respectively, at Gamescom, while Nexon Games will debut its new title "Project RX" at the Tokyo Game Show.
Meanwhile, G-STAR's main conference (G-CON) will feature a discussion among film directors. Jang Hang-jun, director of "The Man Who Lives with the King," which drew more than 16 million viewers, and Lee Byung-hun, director of "Extreme Job," the third-highest-grossing film of all time, will give talks and hold a discussion on the theme of "The Irreplaceable Flavor and Context of Words in the AI Era."
In addition, the B2C special exhibition zone will feature a "Hyundai Motor special booth" showcasing the fusion of gaming and mobility, as well as a new-title experience zone tied to Intel.
