Hello everyone, Wubian here. Ahead of this Gamescom’s closing, the desk went through the Chinese studios’ overseas lineup one by one. The conclusion surprised nobody: compared with the old “here to find a publisher” positioning, the logic of Chinese studios attending has switched engines — most came with finished products to flex.
That sounds easy to say, but behind it sits a structural shift for the whole Chinese game industry, from “exporting supply-chain capacity” to “exporting product strength.” This piece breaks the studios down one by one, then closes on the most underrated part: the small domestic teams that squeezed into the overseas indie hall.
1. The Show in Five Dimensions#
| Dimension |
2025 edition |
2026 edition |
| Reason for attending |
Finding publishers, negotiating agency deals |
Bringing finished games, booking reviews |
| Presentation |
Concept trailers, slide decks |
Playable builds, cross-platform demos |
| Partnership model |
Mostly agency licensing |
Global single-version operations |
| Platform spread |
Mobile-first |
Console/PC/mobile advancing together |
| Indie teams |
Scattered appearances |
Full-scale shortlisting |
2. miHoYo: A Decisive Battle in the Console Strategy#
2.1 The Booth’s Core Attractions#
| Exhibit |
Content |
Strategic signal |
| Honkai: Star Rail PS5 demo |
Hands-on open to overseas console players |
The console push’s first open exercise |
| Concept stand for a new title |
New-game teaser concept display |
Diversification |
| On-site posture |
No standalone press conference |
Show floor over announcements |
The most telling thing at this booth was not the single-game lineup but miHoYo putting a “PS5 demo” at the center of its stand for the first time — an explicit message to the overseas market: we are not just a mobile studio.
2.2 Console Progress Across the Three Titles#
| Product |
Console progress |
Meaning |
| Honkai: Star Rail |
PS5 demo deployed |
Flagship console push |
| Zenless Zone Zero |
Live on multiple platforms |
Console path already validated |
| Genshin Impact |
Early multi-platform footprint |
The established base |
Zenless Zone Zero already proved with raw technical strength how solid this studio’s multi-platform capabilities are, while Genshin Impact has been feeding on the early “multi-platform launch” dividend ever since. Star Rail’s step here is copying that logic onto the second flagship.
3. Kuro Games: The Global Single-Version Blueprint#
3.1 Wuthering Waves: The Newest International Build, Hands-On#
| Dimension |
Detail |
| Shown |
Latest international version, playable build |
| Operating model |
Global single-version operations |
| Update cadence |
Versions ship worldwide simultaneously |
| Why it matters |
A global-operations template for studios below the very top |
What is worth recording about Kuro’s Wuthering Waves is not the visuals but the “operations”: one global version, one update rhythm. That operating density is a massive engineering challenge for a mid-sized studio — multi-language builds, multi-platform certification, and cross-timezone support all have to line up on a single timeline.
3.2 How Replicable Is the Kuro Model?#
| Element |
Approach |
Replicability |
| Version parity |
Same-day global updates |
Medium |
| Community co-building |
Multi-language localized operations |
Medium-high |
| Content cadence |
Regular versions alternating with major ones |
High |
| Tech stack |
In-house engine adapted across platforms |
Low |
| Dimension |
Detail |
| Genre |
Racing |
| Core demo |
Cross-platform online play |
| Strategic value |
Opens a globalization lane for the racing genre |
Racing has historically been an entirely Western success story — and judging from Racing Master’s cross-platform demo, NetEase intends to use the cross-device online play Chinese studios excel at to pry open a genre long held by console platforms.
4.2 NetEase’s Two-Track Overseas Layout#
| Track |
Direction |
Examples |
| Global in-house IP |
Self-developed titles going overseas across genres |
Racing, open world |
| Overseas publishing operations |
Running big localized markets |
Multiple licensed partnerships |
5. Tencent: The Most Mysterious Lineup Yet#
5.1 What the Closed-Door Demos Actually Tell Us#
| Fact |
Detail |
| Official output |
Very few public announcements |
| Booth format |
Primarily closed-door demos |
| Market read |
A rich pipeline of new titles for overseas publishing |
| Reasonable inference |
Multiple products under embargo |
Tencent hid nearly everything inside closed-door demos this time. The rhythm is deliberate: rather than rushing through a press conference, meet publishing channels precisely in a comfortable closed-door setting. For a company of this size, “mysterious” deserves more wariness than “loud” — it usually means a deep hand of cards.
5.2 Reading Tencent’s Globalization Strategy#
| Observation |
Status |
| Overseas studios |
Years of layout, relatively mature |
| Publishing channels |
Multi-region global coverage |
| Tactical center |
Shifting from traffic-buying to product pipeline |
| Emerging signal |
Multiple genres, multiple thrusts |
6. Indie Teams: China’s “Small but Polished” Take the Stage Together#
6.1 Chinese Teams in Indie Arena#
Multiple Chinese indie games made it into this year’s Indie Arena. Set against the early years of “the odd team sneaking overseas,” this is already a full-scale “collective deployment.”
| Trend |
Evidence |
| Growing numbers |
From single digits to double digits |
| Genre spread |
Puzzle, roguelike, narrative — all present |
| Quality gains |
Multiple nomination-caliber works |
| Overseas readiness |
Localization now comes standard |
6.2 Three Advantages of Indie Teams Going Global#
| Advantage |
Detail |
| Low cost |
Small teams keep trial-and-error costs contained |
| Strong identity |
Differentiated themes are natural competitiveness |
| Fast growth |
Riding Steam and console digital stores straight to a global audience |
The trust Chinese single-player games have built overseas in recent years — from Black Myth: Wukong breaking out globally to Phantom Blade Zero’s preorder heat — has paved the road for this cohort of small teams. They are now heading overseas standing on the shoulders of those who came before.
7. Trend Calls: Three Sure Directions#
7.1 Call One: From Licensed Exports to Product Exports#
| Stage |
Model |
Marker |
| Early |
Licensed agency exports |
Third-party publishing |
| Middle |
Co-publishing |
Built jointly by both sides |
| Current |
Independent global operations |
Same version, same cadence |
7.2 Call Two: Console Versions Become Standard Practice#
| Element |
Read |
| Console demos |
Standard equipment for top studios |
| Cross-device play |
Universal |
| Console exclusivity |
The behavior of a few studios only |
| Quality and quantity |
From “the previous title” to “flagship-class cross-platform” |
7.3 Call Three: Internet Giants Deepen International Partnerships#
Tencent and NetEase are tying up ever more closely with world-class IP and studios; internationally co-developed projects will be one of the long-running mainlines of Chinese games going global.
8. Mobile Games Hall Theme Day: An Aug 28 Floor Report#
8.1 The Theme Day’s Design Logic#
The Cologne organizers set August 28 as this edition’s “mobile games hall theme day,” continuing the long-standing tradition of massed domestic and international mobile showcases. This year, Chinese studios’ presence was visibly stronger than in past years, making the day a window onto Chinese mobile games’ overseas push.
| Slot |
Content |
Density read |
| Morning |
Booths open hands-on demos |
Fairly high |
| Afternoon |
Concentrated mobile reveals and cross-platform demos |
Fairly high |
| Evening |
Business meetings |
Targeted |
8.2 A Sketch of the Hall’s Crowd#
| Observation |
Record |
| Demo queue times |
30-plus minutes for popular titles |
| Demo hardware |
Uniform console/phone dual setup |
| Where feedback concentrated |
“Game feel,” not trailers |
| Young visitors |
Noticeably over-represented |
8.3 Product Patterns the Theme Day Exposed#
| Pattern |
Detail |
| Demos first |
Finished-product thinking now drives every booth |
| Dual-platform demos |
Console plus mobile in parallel is the default |
| Localization completeness |
Full German/English dual-language coverage |
| Player-driven |
Floor feedback flows back into development |
9. For Readers Following the Overseas Push#
| Advice |
Detail |
| Watch test milestones |
New-title test windows cluster around the show |
| Watch the charts |
Data is the most honest health checkup for going global |
| Prefer builds to concepts |
The finished product is the only moat |
| Bookmark this page |
Show information keeps updating |
The show ending does not mean the watching stops. Where the sky has patches of color, there is content to be made — in next week’s editorial weekly, I’ll distill this Cologne trip into a topic that goes down well with a drink.
10. Changelog#
| Date |
Update |
| 2026-08-29 |
First publish: five exhibitor dimensions, studio-by-studio breakdown, trend calls |
This article is based on public showings during gamescom and the site’s own show roundup coverage.
— Wubian, NTGame Editor-in-Chief