Taipei Game Show 2024 kicked off on the 4th and 5th floors of the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center on 25th January 2024. Despite the first day of the exhibition coinciding with a cold wave, the enthusiasm of the visitors remained high. Some even braved the chilly winds the night before to secure the limited early bird gifts.
This year’s exhibition is the largest in the past three years, bringing together 377 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions. The B2C Zone showcased over 300 games, including unreleased titles from major international developers and publishers, and spotlighted new releases. The TGS organizer has also revealed that the next edition will take place from January 23rd to 26th, 2025.
Here were some of the event’s biggest highlights:
Kapra Meow’s Charming Dance Kicks Off B2C Zone; Global Debut Games Draw Huge Crowds
With the 4th floor venue opened, game developers and publishers pulled out all the stops to welcome visitors. The event was kicked off with a lively dance by Kapra from GRAVITY COMMUNICATIONS’s Ragnarok ORIGIN. As soon as the day began, the 3D RPG game Zenless Zone Zero welcomed a long line of visitors eager to test the game out.
Nintendo, as the largest console booth of this event, went all out to create a themed area, bringing Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Pikmin 4, and The Legend of Zelda among other popular titles and a lineup of 20 unreleased games. The booth was bustling with crowds eager to try out the hundreds of consoles onsite and meet their favorite characters at the photo meet-and-greets.
Bandai Namco Entertainment lined up a series of spectacular events, featuring appearances by the producers and development teams behind new releases such as NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM BATTLE OPERATION 2, and Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash, sharing the latest information on these anticipated titles.
Additionally, the global debut of the Nintendo Switch version of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Premium Edition was available for trial, much to the delight of fans. Masahiko Takeuchi, the producer of the mobile game The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden, adapted from a popular light novel, also took to the stage to share the joys and challenges of game development, giving the audience a glimpse into the little-known secrets behind the games they love.
More than that, Taiwan Mobile Co. joined forces with Riot Games to present six of their hottest titles. The non-stop stage events ranged from gamer’s challenges to an exclusive interview with Teamfight Tactics developers. Additionally, the Valorant development team made a personal appearance to discuss the behind-the-scenes secrets of the game’s creation and engaged in a lively Q&A session with enthusiastic fans, sparking yet another wave of excitement.
Furthermore, Aniplex’s “Hookah Haze,” which opened globally for trial play, has been a sensation, featuring cosplayer YuiRi as the protagonist “Aijou Amu ” for four consecutive days, sparking a frenzy among attendees eager to take photos. “Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat” prepared exclusive limited gifts and dazzled fans on the final day with a dashing appearance by the cosplayer of the character V.
“GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE” planned a reward event, inviting all commanders over level 100 to participate in an exclusive lucky draw at the booth. “GIRLS FRONTLINE 2: EXILIUM” brought its charming characters to life with an engaging challenge event where fans could win a photo session with cosplayers by succeeding in a shooting challenge. Competitively vying for a photo with their favorite character, players were eager and excited, with many inquiring, “When will it be released? I can’t wait to play!”
Record Size for Indie House; Industry Prominent Figures Impressed
This year’s Indie House, the haven for indie games, boasted its biggest edition ever with over 150 games dazzling visitors. Crowds of gamers excitedly flocked to various booths for trial plays, while Mr. Shuhei Yoshida, Head of Indies Initiative of Sony Interactive Entertainment and a major figure in the industry, expressed his appreciation for the section’s significant expansion compared to last year. Serving as a judge for the Indie Game Award 2024, he emphasized that many entries had impressed him during the judging phase.
If you’d like to support the Indie House titles at Taipei Game Show 2024, the TGS Steam sale is still going strong, with over 200 games available at fantastic discounts starting from 70% off. The event runs until the 30th January, offering gamers the chance to purchase the games they’ve enjoyed testing at TGS.
Taipei Game Show Stage & ONLINE Show Hosts Non-Stop Excitement
This year’s stage featured over 20 esports competitions and events, with more than 10 popular game titles making appearances to meet players. Some of the highlights included the “Fight at TGS STAGE” combat event which had audiences cheering loudly, the popular mobile game Blade & Soul 2, the ROG “League of Legends” 1v1 Arena, and the adorable “Egg Party” Ultimate and Brawl matches. However, the most unique and interesting stage event was the “Just Dance 2024” TGS Entertainment Contest with a hefty prize pool.
In addition to the bustling offline activities, this year’s Taipei Game Show ONLINE brought exciting content to online gamers, including interactive stages linked to the exhibition site. Bandai Namco Entertainment’s TEKKEN 8, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, and other exciting events graced the ONLINE stage.
For more information about Taipei Game Show 2024, visit their official website here.
