HoYoLand 2026, HoYoverse's annual festival, has opened its doors once again this year. Countless HoYoverse fans visited the venue to participate in events at the booths of their favorite games, watch stage performances, and buy all-important merch.
HoYoLand runs for four days. It is remarkable that five of the company's titles alone can pack the venue with visitors over a four-day period. The indoor space felt surprisingly comfortable, likely because timed hourly entry tickets were sold in advance and two of the games set up outdoor booths. Furthermore, by spacing out the booths for each game, congestion in the aisles and walkways was virtually nonexistent, even if there were wait times at individual booths.
So, what does HoYoLand mean to HoYoverse fans? On its own, HoYoLand is not drastically different from the offline events typical game publishers host for specific titles. However, while most publisher events focus on a single IP or game, HoYoLand brings together gamers across all titles under the 'HoYoverse' umbrella for one giant event.
One visitor at the event shared, "It feels like a festival where I can meet people who play the games I love and enjoy it together." Another attendee remarked, "As someone who plays HoYoverse games, it's an event I naturally come to once a year."
That was not all. Many attendees stated they came to purchase limited-edition merch, while others mentioned they came because playing multiple HoYoverse titles made it natural to visit various booths. Interestingly, a sizable number of visitors played multiple HoYoverse games. While each player had their main title, many were playing Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero, and Honkai: Star Rail alongside one another.
One attendee described HoYoLand as "an efficient event where you can collect photocards for multiple games and watch concerts all in one place," adding, "Even if you give up on buying merch, time flies by just exploring the booths, watching stage events, and checking out the cosplay."
An attendee who has been coming to HoYoLand for three years said, "Last year was disappointing, but this year was pretty good, aside from the heat. The dancing event at the Zenless Zone Zero booth was especially memorable." Another visitor playing both Genshin Impact and Star Rail commented, "As long as you let go of greed for merch, it's an event you can really enjoy. The stage was fun, and I really liked the Google Play booth photocard."
Attendees on site shared a wide variety of thoughts about HoYoLand. Opinions ranged from sheer excitement and enjoyment to regrets about overnight waiting lines and merch stock limits, as well as areas for improvement such as booth size and staff count. Yet, without exception, everyone said they would return to HoYoLand next year if they are still playing the games. In the end, such feedback stems from true affection for the games.
Following HoYoLand in early October, HoYoverse will also participate in G-STAR about a month later in November. This marks HoYoverse's return to G-STAR for the first time in four years. Back then, the HoYoverse booth located in Exhibition Center 2 drew massive crowds, with the merch line capping out just minutes after opening.
At this year's G-STAR, HoYoverse plans to feature events for existing titles alongside demo booths for two new games: 'Honkai: Nexus Anima' and 'Petit Planet'. This will allow them to connect with Korean players once again following HoYoLand.
If HoYoLand is a gathering for fans of existing titles, G-STAR promises to be a venue to meet a broader range of gamers looking forward to HoYoverse's upcoming titles. Naturally, once those games officially launch, both the titles and their players will seamlessly transition into future HoYoLands.
Most attendees interviewed at HoYoLand expressed interest in G-STAR but said their attendance was still undecided. Many were based in the Seoul metropolitan area, with a majority answering that they would decide once HoYoverse announces its specific event lineup and schedule for G-STAR. Of course, some visitors noted that they plan to attend G-STAR for the first time through this opportunity.
A representative from HoYoverse stated, "We place great importance on opportunities to meet Korean players and showcase our content. As G-STAR is Korea's largest game exhibition, it was the ideal choice to introduce our new titles, Honkai: Nexus Anima and Petit Planet, to Korean players for the first time." They added, "Given the passionate response from fans during our previous G-STAR appearance, we look forward to connecting and interacting with Korean players again this year with rich content."
HoYoLand 2026, where fans can experience HoYoverse's diverse lineup, takes place from October 2 to 5 at Exhibition Center 2 (Halls 7 and 8) and the outdoor plaza of KINTEX in Ilsan. Meanwhile, G-STAR 2026 will be held at BEXCO in Busan from November 19 to 22.
