After a busy events calendar that took us from ChinaJoy in Shanghai to gamescom in Cologne, Theorycraft Marketing is closing out the year in Southeast Asia. Later this month, we'll be attending gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show in Bangkok for the very first time.
Here's everything you need to know about the event, why Southeast Asia matters more than ever, and how to grab time with our team while we're there.
What is gamescom asia?
gamescom asia is the Asia-Pacific edition of gamescom, the world's biggest games event, organised by Koelnmesse. It launched in Singapore in 2021 and ran there for four editions before merging with Thailand Game Show from 2025 onwards.
The move made a lot of sense. The final Singapore edition drew more than 40,000 attendees from 78 countries and 177 exhibitors, while Thailand Game Show, with an 18-year legacy, attracted over 185,000 visitors in 2024. One was an established business platform; the other was a consumer powerhouse. Bangkok brings a thriving local gaming community and far larger capacity, creating the biggest combined business and consumer games event in Southeast Asia.
The show now sits within the wider gamescom family alongside gamescom in Cologne and gamescom latam in São Paulo.
gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show 2026: Key Details
- Dates: 29 October – 1 November 2026
- Venue: Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC), Bangkok
- Theme: "The Heart of Gaming", with an expanded venue spanning four full halls
Business Area (29–30 October)
Held in the Plenary Hall on Level 1 from 10:00 to 18:00, the business area brings together developers, publishers, platforms, investors and industry leaders, with a speaker line-up that includes legendary developer John Romero. This is where we'll be spending most of our time.
Entertainment Area (30 October – 1 November)
Running across Halls 1–4 on Level G from 09:30 to 20:00, the entertainment area features the latest games, esports tournaments, hardware showcases, merchandise, live performances and meet-and-greets. For anyone working in creator and community marketing, it's a front-row view of how Southeast Asian players engage with games in person.
gamescom asia by the Numbers
The first Bangkok edition set a high bar. The 2025 debut welcomed 206,159 visitors, 5,590 business professionals and 294 exhibitors, and the 2026 edition is expanding its business area, conference programme and entertainment zones.
That business-plus-consumer mix is what makes the event unique: you can take publisher meetings in the morning and watch thousands of real players react to games in the afternoon.
Why Southeast Asia Matters
Southeast Asia isn't just a growing market. It's a hub for both development and publishing.
- Market size: The region generated $6.2 billion in consumer spending in 2024, up 5% year-on-year, with $6.6 billion forecast for 2025 (Newzoo).
- Mobile-first: Mobile accounts for around 73% of the region's games revenue.
- A huge, engaged audience: Around 290 million players in 2025, and more than half watch game livestreams (Niko Partners).
- Thailand leads on spend: Thailand topped Southeast Asian mobile game revenue in Q1 2025 (Sensor Tower).
- A regional publishing force: Games from Southeast Asian publishers were downloaded 5.8 billion times in 2024, more than publishers from China or the US.
Zoom out further and Asia-Pacific contributes nearly half of global games revenue, at $87.6 billion, and is home to 1.9 billion of the world's 3.58 billion players.
There's a lot of talent and ambition in this region, and many studios here are building games with genuine global potential.
Why Theorycraft Marketing Is Attending
Theorycraft exists to help studios scale in Western markets. We've spent years helping Asian publishers, particularly Chinese studios, launch and grow in North America and Europe, and gamescom asia puts us in the room with exactly the teams we're built to support.
We're going to Bangkok to:
- Meet studios and publishers planning Western launches and talk through what it really takes to win in the US, UK, Germany, France and beyond
- Share what's working right now in paid media, creator campaigns and celebrity partnerships for Western audiences
- Connect with global publishers expanding across regions, as well as indie teams looking to scale
- Learn from the region: its creator culture, its players and its fast-moving mobile scene
This is our first gamescom asia, and our Strategic Marketing Director, Nick Ellis, will be on the ground in the business area. He's already booking meetings.
What We Bring to the Table
Theorycraft is a global performance marketing agency working across mobile, PC and console. Our core services include:
- Paid media and user acquisition: culturalised campaigns built for Western platforms and audiences
- Celebrity and brand partnerships: from concept to contract to shoot
- Influencer and KOL campaigns: creator programmes across the US, UK and Europe
- Creative production: ads and assets made to resonate locally, not just translated
- Organic social: community-building that sustains momentum after launch
Recent Work
- Last War: Survival: we run the game's celebrity collaborations, including partnerships with Antony Starr and Daniel Wu, contributing to $500M+ in player spend and the title reaching #1 highest-grossing mobile game worldwide in 2025
- Last War: Survival x Knossi (Germany): one of the biggest creator activations of its kind in German mobile gaming, delivering 3M+ installs, $51M in revenue and #1 strategy game in Germany
- Kingshot (UK): a World Cup-tied campaign with creators FUTCrunch and THOGDEN, plus footballers Michael Owen and Gabriel Jesus
- KRAFTON: campaigns supporting titles including PUBG, InZOI and Subnautica
We've also worked with Century Games, Gameloft, AviaGames, Rovio, 11 Bit Studios, Universal and PlayStation.
Culturalization, Not Just Localization
One message we'll be bringing to every meeting: translating your store page isn't enough. Western players respond to creators they trust, humour that lands and creative that feels native to their feed. That's the gap between localization and culturalization, and it's where most market-entry budgets are won or lost.
If your studio is planning a Western launch in 2027, now is the time to start that conversation.
Book a Meeting With Us at gamescom asia
We'd love to meet studios, publishers and partners in the business area on 29–30 October. To lock in a slot, get in touch via our website or message us on LinkedIn. If you're using the event's networking platform, look us up there too.
Can't make it to Bangkok? We're always happy to set up a call.
FAQ
When and where is gamescom asia 2026?
gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show takes place from 29 October to 1 November 2026 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Is gamescom asia still in Singapore?
No. After four editions in Singapore, gamescom asia moved to Bangkok in 2025 and merged with Thailand Game Show.
What's the difference between the business area and the entertainment area?
The business area (29–30 October) is for industry meetings, networking and conference talks. The entertainment area (30 October – 1 November) is the consumer show, with game demos, esports and live events.
Will Theorycraft Marketing be at gamescom asia 2026?
Yes. It's our first time attending, and our team will be in the business area on 29–30 October.
Who should meet with Theorycraft at gamescom asia?
Asian studios and publishers planning a Western launch, global publishers expanding into new markets, and indie teams looking to scale through paid media, creator campaigns or celebrity partnerships.
How do I book a meeting?
Contact us through theorycraftmarketing.com or reach out on LinkedIn, and we'll find a time that works during the show.
About Theorycraft Marketing
Theorycraft Marketing is a global performance marketing agency helping game studios scale in the West. From paid media and UA to celebrity partnerships, influencer and KOL campaigns, and culturalised creative production, we help publishers across mobile, PC and console reach Western players in ways that feel native, not translated.
Scale in the west / 西方市场规模化增长
Get in touch at theorycraftmarketing.com to book a meeting at gamescom asia or start planning your next launch.
