[On Site] "It Takes Four Hours Just to Play AION 2"... G-STAR Packed with Indie Game Booths [G-STAR 2025]

[Financial News] "Not only are the booths of major game companies impressive, but even those of indie and global game companies are of high quality, so I am very satisfied."
On the afternoon of the 13th at the first exhibition hall of Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) in Haeundae, Busan, a university student surnamed Lee (22) shared these thoughts while waiting to try Krafton's new 'Palworld Mobile'. Lee added, "Especially with so many global game companies present, I think the second exhibition hall will also attract a lot of people," and expressed concern, saying, "There are so many events that I wonder if I can participate in them all."
On the opening day of G-STAR 2025, lines of visitors eager to try out the demos formed early in the morning. Kim, an office worker in his 30s who said he started queuing two hours before the opening, remarked, "I took a day off and came down to Busan last night. I think NCSoft's AION 2 will be the most popular, so I'm planning to visit the NCSoft booth first." In fact, by 1 p.m., the queue for AION 2 had temporarily closed, with a four-hour wait for a demo, as crowds continued to pour in.
According to the G-STAR organizing committee, this year's event features 1,273 companies from 44 countries, with a total of 3,269 booths. The scale was matched by a diverse crowd of participants from various nationalities and age groups. Including office workers visiting the exhibition after the college entrance exam weekend, G-STAR is expected to attract over 200,000 visitors again this year. Besides AION 2, Krafton's Palworld Mobile had a three-hour wait, and all of Netmarble's demos had lines exceeding two hours. Even entering Krafton's rest area, 'PUBG Cafe', required waiting for over an hour.
A variety of cosplayers also caught the eyes of visitors. Both inside and outside the venue, cosplayers in colorful costumes showcased their outfits. With many game companies hosting events this year, there were not only game characters but also characters from various content such as animation. Park, a 25-year-old office worker dressed as a character from the Japanese animation 'Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World', has attended G-STAR for three years in different cosplay each time. Park commented, "I came to G-STAR with a friend I met in a cosplay club, and I'm happy to see the booths getting more spectacular every year."
The second exhibition hall, mainly featuring global and indie game companies, was also packed with visitors. The presence of prominent global developers drew crowds even without major new releases. Jung, a game developer in his 30s waiting for a demo at the Atlus booth, noted, "The quality of the indie game booths was much higher than expected, which was inspiring. There were also a variety of games with dedicated fan bases."
The business exhibition hall (BTB), designed to strengthen business networking infrastructure among participating companies, was filled with domestic and international game industry professionals in the networking lounge. Companies like Smilegate Holdings, Samsung Electronics, Nexus, and organizations such as the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency operated BTB booths.


[email protected] Joo Won-gyu Reporter