Global gaming convention G-Star kicks off in Busan on Thursday, showcasing new releases by mobile and PC game makers and hosting a number of esports competitions for popular games.

G-Star 2017 is featuring more than 2,700 booths and bringing together some 650 game companies from 30 countries. Nexon is the event’s main sponsor this year, hosting 300 booths at the venue.

Unlike last year’s edition, where virtual reality and mobile games took center stage, this year’s G-Star is hosting many live game competitions participated by professional gamers from around the world, organizers said.


The recently released megahit online shooting game “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” will see its own esports tournament take place at the Busan-based game convention. The game’s developer, Seoul-based Bluehole Studio, will give a prize of 300 million won ($269,000) to the final winner.

In addition, Actoz Soft will be hosting the World Esports Games & Leagues 2017 Final during this year’s G-Star, for 12 games including “Overwatch,” “Hearthstone,” “StarCraft: Remastered,” “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” and “Minecraft.”

Among them, the highly anticipated “Starcraft: Remastered” tournament will feature famed Starcraft pro-gamers Lee “Flash” Young-ho and Im “Larva” Hong-gyu.

In addition, Korea’s major game companies will once again showcase an array of new games, both PC and mobile based, at this year’s G-Star.

Nexon will unveil nine new games including five PC online and four mobile games slated for release here in the near future. They include PC games “FIFA Online 4,” “Need for Speed Edge,” “Battlerite,” “Moonlight Blade” and “Titan Fall” and mobile game “Overhit.”

Meanwhile, Netmarble Games has prepared around 260 stations where gamers can become the first to try out the firm’s upcoming mobile games including “Tera M,” “Seven Knights 2” and “Blade & Soul Revolution.”

On top of promoting its hit game “Battlegrounds,” Bluehole Studio will also release a new game “Ascent: Infinite Realm,” also called “A:IR,” and hold related promotional events.

Mobile game publisher Kakao Games does not have a booth set up at this year’s G-Star. However, games that Kakao plans to service in the future including “Grand Chase for Kakao” and “Dragon Nest M for Kakao” are to be unveiled to the public via partners during the convention.

NHN Entertainment and MGame are to run outdoor booths in the Bexco courtyard to promote their services and games. Meanwhile, Wemade Entertainment, Joymax, Gamevil and Com2uS have set up consultation booths for interested investors and partners in the B2B exhibition hall.

G-Star 2017 runs through Sunday at the Bexco exhibition center in Busan. For more information, visit www.gstar.or.kr/index.asp.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)