The 2026 Taipei Game Show kicked off today (January 29th) and will run until February 1st at Hall 1 of the Nangang Exhibition Center. This year's show boasts a record-breaking scale, bringing together 399 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions. Meanwhile, the results of the "GAME STAR" poll, a symbol of player opinion, were also announced on the opening day. Kuro Games' "Mingchao" demonstrated its incredible strength, sweeping the gold awards across home consoles, PCs, and mobile devices, becoming this year's biggest winner.
Nintendo expands its exhibition, offering hands-on demos of major titles in real time.
Nintendo showcased new Nintendo Switch 2 titles at this year's expo, allowing Taiwanese players to get a sneak peek at the new games. Major publishers including Bandai Namco Entertainment Taiwan and Koei Tecmo also presented several new titles that were being offered for the first time overseas, such as Dynasty Warriors Origins, allowing players to experience the latest game content without having to travel abroad.
GAME STAR charts released: "Mingchao" becomes the cross-platform champion.
In terms of game awards, this year saw "open-world action games" dominate.
• Cross-platform winner:With its projected global revenue of $1.895 million by 2025, coupled with its previous "Voice of the Player" award at the TGA, "Mingchao" holds a very high position in the hearts of Taiwanese gamers, directly sweeping the gold awards on the three major platforms of home consoles, PCs, and mobile devices.
• HoYoverse performed steadily:Although the gold award was taken away, HoYoverse's *Honkai Impact 3rd* and *Genshin Impact* remained strong, winning multiple silver and bronze awards respectively. Notably, *Genshin Impact* has won awards for three consecutive years, demonstrating its enduring popularity.
• The Rise of Games Targeting Female Players:Love and Deepspace broke through the competition with its surreal 3D immersive experience, winning the Silver Award for mobile devices, proving the amazing spending power and stickiness of the female-oriented market.
Taiwanese-made games: IP adaptation and creative bursts
In terms of local game development, this year's award-winning works are diverse in style:
• Gold Award:Shida Games' "XXL Monster Town" won the Taiwan Indie Game Gold Award. This adventure RPG, featuring a "furry" style, has won over players with its unique attribute combinations and adventure gameplay.
• IP monetization:Boshen Co., Ltd.'s "Kabo Stacking Fun" won the Taiwan Game Development Gold Award, proving that the well-known IP (Kabo the Cat and Bug) combined with light and casual gameplay is still a guarantee of attracting users.
• Creative masterpieces:Films like "Quit Now," which combines internet memes with workplace venting, and "Come Down, Icebird," which combines going down stairs with pixel art, both achieved good results.
B2B Business District and AI Trends
In addition to the bustling player area, the business area has also been expanded to the first floor this year. In line with the generative AI trend, the concurrent Asia Pacific Game Summit (APGS) has specially planned an AI STAGE, inviting major companies such as AWS, NVIDIA and Google to discuss how AI is changing the game development process, which will be a key focus for industry professionals.
