Korean game companies' strategies in the Japanese market are expanding beyond simple publishing and local services to include co-development and intellectual property (IP) collaborations. There is an increasing trend of combining Korean game companies' development and business capabilities with Japanese development teams and local popular IPs to create new titles targeting not only Japan but also the global market.

At the upcoming Tokyo Game Show 2026 (TGS 2026), which opens on the 17th, companies such as NHN, Netmarble, and Smilegate will prominently feature new titles developed in collaboration with Japanese studios and IPs.

NHN is returning to TGS after eight years with its Japanese game development and service subsidiary, NHN PlayArt, showcasing a total of seven titles, including three new projects such as the Korea-Japan collaboration project *Fushifu no Sekai no Puchi Furyuu*. This project combines the development and business capabilities of both countries to target the global market. NHN is expanding collaboration between the two organizations by integrating its accumulated development capabilities in Japan with the business and service expertise of its Korean headquarters. During TGS, Kim Sang-ho, head of the game business division, and Murakami Haruki, director and chief producer of NHN PlayArt, will introduce the synergy and collaboration strategies in Korea-Japan game development.

Netmarble is directly expanding a popular Japanese IP into a game. *Shangri-La Frontier: Seven Strongest Species*, featured at TGS, is a game adaptation of the manga and anime *Shangri-La Frontier*, which has high recognition in Japan. Netmarble will unveil a playable demo version for the first time at this TGS. The event will also feature a stage with voice actors from the original anime, including Yuuma Uchida as Sanraku, Rina Hidaka as Emuru, and Yuka Terasaki as Akitsu Akane. The strategy is to combine the fanbase of the original Japanese IP with Netmarble's game development and global service capabilities to expand the market.

Smilegate is also showcasing *Dead Account: Two Blue Flames*, a new title based on a Japanese manga, at TGS. This is an example of reinterpreting local Japanese content into a game and introducing it to global users, including those in Japan.

Japan is not only a major global game market but also possesses strong content IPs centered around manga and anime. Korean game companies have accumulated competitiveness in online and mobile game development, live services, and global publishing. By combining the strengths of both countries, they can lower the barriers to entering the Japanese market while securing global users based on existing IP fanbases.

This year's TGS will also see major Korean game companies participating en masse to target the Japanese market, beyond these collaboration cases.

Nexon is showcasing *MapleStory Mobile*, set for a Japanese release, and the subculture title *Pareidolia*. Leveraging the subculture genre, which has been strong in Japan, and long-standing IPs, they aim to gauge local user reactions. NCSoft is operating a dedicated booth for the subculture title *Astra: Oracle of Light*. By focusing on the subculture genre, which is highly preferred in the Japanese market, they aim to broaden their portfolio beyond MMORPGs and expand their global user base.

ShiftUp will debut a playable demo of *Stellar Blade Complete Edition* for the Nintendo Switch 2 at TGS. This expands the game's reach to the Nintendo platform, which holds significant influence in Japan, following its releases on PlayStation 5 and PC. Ironmace is also participating in TGS with *Dark and Darker*.

A game industry insider stated, “Japan is an important partner for domestic game companies not only due to the size of its market but also because it possesses globally influential IPs and development talent. Beyond simply servicing Korean games in Japan, there will be more cases where both countries collaborate from the planning and development stages to target the global market.”