G-STAR is Korea’s annual international game exhibition, organised by the Korea Association of Game Industry (K-GAMES) and held each November at BEXCO in Busan. The 2026 event is the 22nd edition.

Last verified: October 12, 2026. Event schedules, tickets, exhibitors and programmes may change. Confirm current details with the organiser before travelling.

Event at a Glance

EventG-STAR 2026 — 국제게임전시회 지스타 2026 (22nd edition)
Slogan“Expand Your Horizons”
Public exhibition (BTC)19–22 November 2026 (Thu–Sun)
Business/trade (BTB)19–21 November 2026
G-CON conference19–20 November 2026
Korea Game Awards18 November 2026 (pre-opening ceremony)
VenueBEXCO, Busan (offline) + G-STAR TV (online)
AddressBEXCO Exhibition Center 1, #55 APEC-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan (48060)
OrganiserKorea Association of Game Industry (K-GAMES); managed by the G-STAR Organizing Committee and Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency
Visitor typeMixed — B2C (BTC public) and B2B (BTB trade)
Official siteEnglish · Korean

What Is G-STAR 2026?

The 2026 slogan is “Expand Your Horizons”. According to the organiser, this year’s strategy centres on expanding the industry and its audience, and on expanding in-house content. In a notable first, the main sponsor is Crack (크랙) — an AI story-creation platform from Wrtn Technologies — the first non-game company to serve as G-STAR’s main sponsor.

The exhibition is a mixed event. The BTC track is the public consumer show; the BTB track is the business/trade programme; and G-CON is the game-development conference.

Dates, Venue and Entry

Dates

The official overview lists the event as 18–22 November 2026. The 18th is the Korea Game Awards, a pre-opening ceremony. The public-facing schedule is:

  • BTC exhibition (public): 19–22 November 2026
  • BTB exhibition (trade): 19–21 November 2026
  • G-CON conference: 19–20 November 2026

Venue

The event is held offline at BEXCO, Busan, with an online component on G-STAR TV. According to the organiser, BTC uses Exhibition Center (Hall) 1 and Hall 2, G-CON uses the Convention Hall, and e-sports uses the BEXCO Auditorium.

  • Exhibition Center 1: #55 APEC-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan (Postal Code 48060)
  • Exhibition Center 2: #30 APEC-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan

Opening hours

  • BTC: On the opening day (19 November), the hall opens at 11:00; ticket verification closes at 17:00, with last admission at 17:30. Opening and closing times for the remaining public days (20–22 November) were not published on the pages reviewed at the time of writing — check the official site for those days.
  • BTB: 10:00–18:00 (19–21 November).

Tickets and Passes

BTC (public) tickets

TypePrice
General (Adult)₩18,000
Youth (born on or after 1 January 2008)₩8,000

BTB (trade) passes

PassPricePeriod
Super Early Bird₩150,00013 July – 12 August
Advance₩200,00013 August – 15 November
On-site₩300,00019–21 November

G-CON PASS and G-CON V PASS are available separately. See the official pass guide for G-CON pricing details.

For the latest ticket, pass and programme details: official BTC ticket page and official pass guide.

Key points from the official BTC page:

  • Sales period: 29 September 2026, 15:00 – 21 November 2026, 23:59.
  • 100% online advance booking — there is no on-site sale.
  • Maximum 2 tickets per person per day.
  • Purchases close at 24:00 the day before your visit.
  • Free admission applies to persons with disabilities (welfare card), persons of national merit, and preschool children. Free-admission visitors collect a ticket at the Information Center, which opens one hour before the exhibition. (Note: the English and Korean pages give different birth-year wording for the preschool-child category — confirm the exact cut-off before attending.)

Confirmed Highlights

Exhibitor lists and programmes below are organiser-announced and subject to change. The organiser has said the full lineup is being released in stages, so treat this as a snapshot.

Exhibitors (BTC)

Hall 1 — large booths (announced 29 September): Crack, Krafton, HoYoverse, Google Play, Webzen, Team42.

Hall 2 — global showcase / special zone: Koei Tecmo Games, Sega, NetEase Games, CD Projekt Red, Hyundai Motor (2026 Hyundai N Virtual Cup Grand Final), an Intel new-title zone, and the KOCCA Game Culture Festival experience hall.

Indie Showcase 2.0: GALAXY — 106 companies and around 250 booths, with Steam Deck, Discord and Unity participating.

Programme

  • G-CON 2026 (19–20 November, Convention Hall Grand Ballroom, roughly 1,500 seats) — themed “Narrative” (#Narrative #Console #Storytelling #Design #Art).
  • Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) Asia Stage 3 Grand Final 2026 (20–22 November, BEXCO Auditorium) — the first large e-sports event held there in three years.
  • 2026 Game Culture Festival (“PLAY K”) — hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organised by KOCCA, in Hall 2.
  • G-STAR Premiere online showcase (18 November, the day before opening).

G-CON speakers (representative)

Announced speakers include Naoki Hamaguchi and Yoshinori Kitase (SQUARE ENIX, Final Fantasy VII), Shoji Kawamori (Macross), Kim Yongha (Nexon Games, Blue Archive), Kim Hyung Tae (SHIFT UP, Stellar Blade), Shinji Mikami, Greg Kasavin and Darren Korb (Supergiant Games, Hades), Marcin Blacha and Philipp Weber (CD PROJEKT RED, The Witcher 3), Cho Yonghee (CAPCOM, Pragmata), film directors Chang Hang Jun and Lee Byeong Heon, and Park In-je (Moving). This is a representative selection; see the official G-CON page for the full roster.

If the detailed programme has not yet been fully published when you read this: check the official website before your visit.

Getting to the Venue

By Busan Metro Line 2:

  • Centum City Station, Exit 1 — about 50 m to Exhibition Center 1.
  • BEXCO Station, Exit 7 — about 100 m to Exhibition Center 1.
  • BEXCO Station, Exit 5 — about 453 m to Exhibition Center 2.

Directions are per BEXCO’s official guide. The venue address is #55 APEC-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan.

Independent Visitor Notes

The following is K-Expos editorial advice based on the official ticketing rules and clearly labelled historical reporting. It is not official organiser guidance.

  • Buy in advance. BTC tickets are 100% advance-only, with no on-site sale, and purchases close at 24:00 the day before your visit. Plan ahead if you are travelling to Busan.
  • Expect a later start on opening day. The hall opens at 11:00 on 19 November; for the other public days, confirm hours on the official site rather than assuming a fixed daily schedule.
  • Popular booths draw long queues. Independent trade and community reporting from the previous (2025) edition described long waits at major game booths — for example, a queue of several hours reported at one prominent booth. This reflects the 2025 edition, not a current-year guarantee, but budget time accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is G-STAR 2026 open to the public?
The BTC public exhibition runs 19–22 November 2026. The BTB trade track runs 19–21 November, and G-CON runs 19–20 November. The Korea Game Awards are on 18 November.
How much do BTC tickets cost?
Adult tickets are ₩18,000 and youth tickets (born on or after 1 January 2008) are ₩8,000, per the official ticket page.
Can I buy tickets on-site?
No. The organiser states BTC tickets are 100% advance-booking only. Purchases close at 24:00 the day before your visit.
What are the daily opening hours?
On opening day (19 November) the hall opens at 11:00, with ticket verification closing at 17:00 and last admission at 17:30. Hours for 20–22 November were not published on the pages reviewed — check the official site.
Where is the event held?
BEXCO, Busan — BTC in Exhibition Center Hall 1 and Hall 2, G-CON in the Convention Hall, and e-sports in the BEXCO Auditorium. The main address is #55 APEC-ro, Haeundae-gu.
How do I get there?
Take Busan Metro Line 2 to Centum City Station (Exit 1, ~50 m) or BEXCO Station (Exit 7, ~100 m).
Who can enter for free?
Persons with disabilities (welfare card), persons of national merit, and preschool children, per the official page. The English and Korean pages differ on the exact child birth-year wording — confirm before attending.

Sources and Update Policy

Check the official organiser website for the latest ticket, programme and visitor information.

This guide reflects official organiser pages verified on 12 October 2026. Exhibitor lists, programmes, ticket details and opening hours may change; confirm current details with the organiser before travelling.

Last verified: October 12, 2026. Event schedules, tickets, exhibitors and programmes may change. Confirm current details with the organiser before travelling.

K-Expos is the blog of Korean exhibition columnist K-전시랩. This guide was written from official sources and was not based on a first-hand visit to the event.

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