The business area of gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show 2026 opened last Thursday, October 29, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC), bringing together video game industry professionals from around the world for the first of the event's two business days. This year's edition set a new record for international participation, with exhibitors from 29 countries and regions, including 20 national pavilions representing 12 markets. Studios, publishers, investors, and government delegations from Asia, Europe, and North America attended the event, creating opportunities for connections across different sectors of the industry.

One of the programme's main highlights was the keynote Why We Still Make Games, delivered by John Romero, co-creator of DOOM and Quake. In conversation with Evva Karr, CEO of Glitch, the developer reflected on more than four decades in the industry, discussing the challenges he faced throughout his career and the prospects for the next generation of professionals. During the presentation, Romero also emphasized the importance of creativity and experimentation in driving the industry forward. "New ideas are the most important ingredient because you can bring experience to developing a new idea, but it's new ideas that keep the industry moving forward... I love indie games. There's tons of new ideas there, and I'm excited by people who are going to try stuff and see what happens."

The Stage 1 programme also brought together professionals behind some of the industry's most recognized productions to discuss the development and long-term growth of intellectual properties. Nick Herman and Dennis Lenart, co-founders of AdHoc Studio, shared insights into the making of Dispatch and the challenges of expanding the possibilities of interactive storytelling. Ubisoft representatives discussed reimagining classics such as Assassin's Creed Black Flag and Rayman Legends for new generations, while Jojo Zhou from Massive Monster explored how the world of Cult of the Lamb has evolved through post-launch updates.

Business opportunities were also a key part of the programme, particularly during the Reverse Pitch, a format in which publishers presented developers with the projects and concepts they are looking to fund. Participating companies included PlaySide, Focus Entertainment, Fireshine Games, and Team17, which used the session to outline their investment priorities and the types of productions they are seeking to add to their portfolios.

Other highlights included Piotr Babieno, CEO of Bloober Team, who discussed the lasting commercial potential of horror games, using Cronos: The New Dawn as a reference. Voodoo also presented an analysis of how artificial intelligence is already transforming game development. Meanwhile, Invest Circle and VIP XPerience, sponsored by Xsolla, facilitated curated speed networking sessions between studios, publishers, and investors, aiming to strengthen industry connections and create new business opportunities.