Upon entering the Shanghai West Bund Art Center in China on the 11st, visitors were greeted by exhibits and character imagery bringing the world of 'Torchlight: Infinite' to life. The lobby featured interactive zones utilizing in-game content, and even before the event officially began, it was bustling with users participating in minigames and photographing the displays.

The '2026 TorchCon' held that day is a global offline event for 'Torchlight: Infinite' players, marking its second time in Shanghai following last year's event. A TorchCon was also held in Seoul this past January.

The venue hosted fans not only from China but also from South Korea, Japan, North America, Europe, and other regions. Key stage programs were also broadcast live via the official YouTube channel.

The most crowded area at the venue was the minigame zone, which utilized game content. Hands-on activities based on game elements like Arcana, Sequence, and Cube were available, and participants earned 'Flame Element,' an event-exclusive currency, upon completing each mission.

The collected 'Flame Element' could be exchanged for limited-edition merchandise at the 'Trade House' inside the venue. Many users were seen challenging the minigames multiple times to get the items they wanted or discussing their experience routes while checking each other's earned currency.

The exhibition zone offered a retrospective look at past seasons of 'Torchlight: Infinite.' Displays included key imagery and character artwork from previous seasons, as well as figures and cosplay exhibits, with some visitors taking photos in front of displays from seasons they had played.

The main stage featured presentations from the development team. Director Liu Heng, General Planner Wang Yulei, and other developers introduced the game's future development direction and operational plans, followed by a live Q&A session with attendees.

During the Q&A, questions ranged from curiosities felt during actual gameplay to the future direction of content. The developers listened to and answered questions directly, fostering a sense of connection with the audience, with some answers drawing applause and cheers from the crowd.

Following the developer presentations, a special performance reflecting the atmosphere of the new season took the stage. Using lighting and video effects to express the new season's concept, the performance injected a new level of energy into an event that had previously been focused on presentations.

The highlight of the event was the new season preview session. As SS13 'Afterlight,' scheduled for update on the 17th, was unveiled for the first time, the audience focused their attention on the large screen.

The preview introduced key content for the new season, including the new hero trait 'Hesper: Selena,' the growth system 'God of the Underworld,' and new challenge content. Whenever gameplay footage or system explanations were revealed, audience members were seen capturing the screen with their phones or sharing opinions with their companions.

Korean users were also invited to this event. Those who visited the Shanghai venue participated in the program alongside global fans, while a separate watch party was held in Korea, allowing those who could not attend in person to watch the presentation via live stream.

One Korean user met at the venue said, "I was looking forward to seeing the new season information first, but I also wanted to experience the reactions and atmosphere of the users at the actual event. Unlike watching the broadcast, the process of developers and fans communicating in real-time was delivered vividly."

Another user remarked, "It was impressive that there was a dedicated invitation program for Korean users. I was satisfied that it wasn't just an event to announce update information, but a fan event where users from various countries could participate and enjoy together."

This TorchCon was characterized by its integration of hands-on content, exhibitions, performances, and communication with developers into a single event, rather than focusing solely on the new season reveal. From minigames that allowed users to experience game systems firsthand to developer Q&As and global user participation programs, the event concluded as a space where users could interact with one another through 'Torchlight: Infinite'.