ChinaJoy 2026, Asia's largest gaming event and a premier showcase for the Chinese industry, will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from July 31 to August 3.

Now in its 23rd year, ChinaJoy is moving beyond a traditional gaming show to become a comprehensive entertainment event under the slogan "Level Up with AI." With a broad agenda covering games, animation, comics, hardware, AI, and global cooperation, we take a look at the key details ahead of the opening.

Opening Doors to the World: Who is Participating in ChinaJoy 2026?

This year's ChinaJoy boasts its largest scale to date, with a total exhibition area exceeding 140k square meters. To date, approximately 900 companies from 39 countries and regions have confirmed their participation, including 275 foreign firms. The B2C interactive entertainment hall for general visitors spans 120k square meters with over 350 exhibitors, while the B2B business hall covers 25k square meters with over 500 companies (46.6% of which are foreign).

The B2C exhibition consists of 10 halls, with the four halls near the entrance (N1 to N4) dedicated to gaming. The N1 hall, the first visitors encounter, features the PlayStation booth. SIE has long operated the 'China Hero Project' to discover promising Chinese console games and developers. Given that AAA Chinese titles like 'Black Myth: Wukong' and the highly anticipated 'Phantom Blade Zero' have consistently been showcased at the PlayStation booth, expectations are high for another strong lineup of Chinese AAA titles this year.

Palworld, which has gained significant attention from Chinese users through consistent participation in local offline events despite not having an official Chinese license, will also be present. With its recent transition to a full global release on July 10 following early access, all eyes are on how it will appeal to local Chinese users.

SNK, which maintains steady popularity in China, is returning to ChinaJoy after a long hiatus. The company's list includes the popular King of Fighters series, the latest title FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, and Metal Slug, which recently announced a series reboot for its 30th anniversary. Game Freak, known for the Pokémon series, is also targeting the Chinese market with its new title, 'Beast of Reincarnation,' set for release on August 4. Among Chinese developers, Perfect World will participate with titles such as Persona 5: The Phantom X and the recently released 'E-Huan'.

In Hall N2, Wargaming returns to ChinaJoy after nearly a decade with World of Tanks and World of Warships. The participation of Eastern European and Russian developers is also notable, with Battlestate Games making its ChinaJoy debut with Escape from Tarkov. EA will showcase 'Need for Speed: Unite,' a new mobile title released in China via Tencent. From Korea, Gravity's 'Ragnarok 3' is set to knock on the doors of the Chinese market through a local partner.

Among Chinese titles, another urban fantasy open world game, 'Mangyue,' has been placed in Hall N2. During its first closed beta test (CBT) in December 2024, 'Mangyue' drew attention for its vast content set in a modern city and its unique worldview, though it also faced criticism for lacking polish. After more than a year of dedicated refinement, the game is now preparing for launch, appearing at Bilibili World and now ChinaJoy. In addition to this, other open-world titles that have been in development behind the scenes, such as the new monster-taming open-world RPG 'Imu,' are expected to emerge one by one.

In Hall N3, Blizzard will participate in full force through its local partner, NetEase, ahead of the recently announced revival of BlizzCon. The company plans to energize the local community by showcasing flagship titles including World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Diablo IV, Overwatch, and StarCraft II. Hall N3 will also feature various IP-based works, such as Bandai Namco Entertainment's games based on popular manga like One Piece and Bleach, and Sega's Project Sekai Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku.

In Hall N4, NC's 'Aion Mobile,' which recently received its Chinese license, will be showcased through its development partner, Shengqu Games. First mentioned during the Q3 2025 earnings call, 'Aion Mobile' is a mobile MMORPG based on the original PC version of Aion, as indicated by its Chinese title 'Aion Classic.' With a Chinese launch targeted for this year, the level of polish it displays at the event will be a key point of interest. Additionally, Korean games are making a strong comeback at ChinaJoy this year, including JOYCITY's 'FreeStyle Reboot,' released via Tencent Games.

ChinaJoy 2026: A Commitment to Grassroots Growth and an Expanded Indie Game Zone

Historically, ChinaJoy has focused on its massive scale and large-scale exhibitors, leaving little room for indie games. Previously, indie titles were mostly limited to the outskirts of the B2B hall, or showcased via platforms like XD's TapTap or the PlayStation booth's China Hero Project.

However, since 2024, the 'ChinaJoy Express Zone' in Hall N1 has expanded exhibition opportunities for small and medium-sized developers and indie games. The zone allows visitors to experience indie games from China and beyond. It started with about 47 booths in 2024, grew to 68 in 2025, and has expanded to 80 booths this year.

Furthermore, indie games have begun to take center stage in ChinaJoy's promotional materials. Popular titles such as 'Night of the Full Moon,' considered a foundation of roguelike deck-builders alongside Slay the Spire, and 'Backpack Hero,' which turns inventory management into a roguelite experience, have been featured as representative titles. With the introduction of new and upcoming games like 'Densha Attack' and 'Slash Zero,' accessibility for local Chinese gamers is expected to increase.

The significant presence of Korean indie games in the B2C hall is also noteworthy. Previously, B2C booths were largely reserved for foreign games that had secured licenses or were exhibiting through local partners. However, the expansion of indie-focused areas like the ChinaJoy Express Zone has opened doors to a wider variety of international indie titles.

As a result, Korean indie games that were previously limited to the B2B hall via the Korea Pavilion can now meet Chinese users directly. Featured titles include Team Tetrapod's mystery adventure 'Stepper Retro,' Writers Games' first-person puzzle adventure 'Thanks Light,' Nanali Studios' 'Tiny Cafe,' Nanu Company's 'Tower of Babel: Survivors of Chaos,' Banjiha Games' 'Fakebook,' and Quesera Games' 'KALPA.'

A Hub for Sharing Knowledge and Know-How: From Game Development to AI

Beyond the exhibition, ChinaJoy has long provided platforms for industry discourse, such as conferences. Since its inception in the early 2000s, the China Digital Entertainment Congress (CDEC) and the China Game Developers Conference (CGDC) have run concurrently, inviting experts from around the world to share their expertise.

With IP and AI emerging as core themes alongside gaming, the schedule for this year's CGDC has been released. The conference will take place over two days, July 31 and August 1, featuring sessions categorized by game genre and technical lectures. Notably, excluding game engine and art technology, most technical lectures are focused on AI, reflecting the industry's intense interest in the field.

In the RPG sector, the participation of Western developers is particularly notable. CD Projekt Red (CDPR) director Paweł Sasko will take the stage as a keynote speaker. Drawing on his experience working on 'The Witcher 3,' 'Cyberpunk 2077,' and the 'Phantom Liberty' DLC, Sasko plans to share his know-how on consistently building dense, immersive worlds.

Tobias Stolz-Zwilling, a director at Warhorse Studios—the developer of the 'Kingdom Come: Deliverance' series—will also speak at the China Game Developers Conference (CGDC). Stolz-Zwilling will discuss the challenges the studio faced since its Kickstarter days, the process of overcoming them to create a realistic medieval world, and the mindset required for studio success. Additionally, Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler plans to share with the audience the journey of creating story-driven action RPGs with intuitive controls and signature art styles, from the 'Ori' series to 'No Rest for the Wicked.'

In the action-adventure category, Koei Tecmo producers Kohei Shibata and Masakazu Hirayama will serve as featured speakers. The two producers are set to introduce the development processes and expertise behind 'Nioh 3' and 'Wo Long 2,' respectively. Furthermore, regarding 'Palworld,' which recently transitioned to its full release, PocketPair's Head of Publishing John Buckley will participate in the CGDC to share the story of how the team engaged with global users and fostered community support from the early access phase through to the official launch.

MINTROCKET CEO Hwang Jae-ho, who attended ChinaJoy last year, returns this year as a speaker for the CGDC action-adventure session. He will reflect on the three-year journey of DAVE THE DIVER since its official launch, sharing insights gained from overcoming challenges in platform expansion, collaborations, and DLC development.

In the globalization sector, Playism CEO Shunji Mizutani, a familiar face to indie gamers and developers, will offer advice on the mindset required to discover and launch games with inventive ideas, such as 'DEEEER Simulator,' 'Fight Crab,' and 'Exit 8.'

ChinaJoy 2026: Enhancing Global Accessibility Both Online and Offline

According to organizers, ChinaJoy 2026 expects to bring together companies from over 30 countries and regions, with 10k international business visitors anticipated. In response to strengthening global partnerships post-COVID-19, the B2B matching system has been upgraded, and eligibility for business visitor passes has been relaxed. Additionally, in collaboration with smart voice and AI technology firm iFlytek, intelligent translation devices will be deployed throughout the B2B area to provide real-time multilingual interpretation, lowering language barriers for global business meetings.

With the opening of ChinaJoy, a dedicated '2026 ChinaJoy Game Show' page will be launched on Steam and Steam China, allowing users to explore participating titles both offline and online. Various online events will also be promoted through local platforms, including streamer competitions on Douyin Live, exclusive digital collectibles via Alipay's 'Alipay Tap!', an online 'Cloud Expo' exhibition on Taobao & Tmall, and large-scale cosplay challenge livestreams on Kuaishou.

Amidst this platform-centric configuration, various considerations for international visitors are evident. To reduce congestion and improve comfort, the booth numbering system and wayfinding signage have been improved, and a self-service badge collection area has been established to simplify entry. Previously, international visitors had to navigate multiple steps through Chinese platforms to purchase and verify tickets; now, they can easily book via the global ticketing platform 'MaiSeat,' which also simplifies the verification of booking details before entry.

ChinaJoy 2026 will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from July 31 to August 3, and further information can be found on the official website.