©INVEN Bilibili World, China's premier subculture festival, is being held from the 10th to the 12nd at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. Launched in 2017 by the subculture platform Bilibili, the event has emerged since the end of the pandemic as a global hub for entertainment, drawing participants from China and Japan as well as Korea and beyond. This year, the event is particularly notable for the scheduled appearance of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.
In fact, 'legendary' is the only word that does this year's Bilibili World justice. While it has occupied five exhibition halls in recent years, this year it has utilized almost the entire first floor of the National Exhibition and Convention Center, save for Hall 7, which had to be kept clear for crowd control. The gaming lineup has also expanded, with game booths growing from two halls to three, underscoring the event's rising status.
This year featured a wide array of titles, including domestic subculture games like Blue Archive, Nikke, Trickcal, and NC's 'Mistbound.' International package games were also well-represented, with Atlus' Persona 4 Revival, Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors 2 Remake, and Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Black Flag Rethinked. The indie scene was equally vibrant, with titles like PeroPero Games' Muse Dash 2 and various other indie labels and publishers participating, cementing Bilibili World's position as a comprehensive entertainment venue that transcends mere subculture.
It is a shame that space limitations prevent me from covering everything, but I have compressed the Bilibili World experience into these photos.
Joining the crowds gathering even before reaching the entrance. ©INVEN The VIP area, which allows for earlier entry, is located on the opposite side of the pedestrian bridge. ©INVEN The scale has grown so much that they are using every hall except for Hall 7, which is kept clear for visitor entry. ©INVEN There is a QR check before entry, so take note of this if you forgot yours. ©INVEN The first thing you see upon entering is the BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment zone, headlined by Gundam. ©INVEN Wait... what is this? ©INVEN ???: Not everyone can come to Bilibili World. ©INVEN Next to it is a merchandise shop centered around Donkey... I mean, Amiya. ©INVEN The legendary Dragon Ball couldn't be left out. ©INVEN Tamagotchi, which consistently draws a great response every year. ©INVEN Checking out another merch zone nearby, and is that a Beyblade and Evangelion collab? ©INVEN The Nikke booth was in a 'demon zone' that was impossible to penetrate in the morning, so I snapped a photo of an action figure at the Good Smile booth instead. ©INVEN The area behind the merch zone is clearly the VTuber zone, but... ©INVEN Usually there are many cosplayers, but for some reason, mascot costumes are really making their presence felt this time. ©INVEN There is even a bizarre world where Kayoko is caught in a WWE match between mascots. ©INVEN Why I couldn't get to the Nikke booth in the morning.jpg. The lineup at the entrance to Hall 3 is intense. ©INVEN The Honkai: Star Rail booth, where a giant 'Guide of the Stars' has descended. ©INVEN I struggled to get the relics needed to pull Himeko Nova, but I guess this is as far as I go. ©INVEN Following the Camellya mascot, here is Chovy, who is becoming another mascot for Wuthering Waves. ©INVEN A fox constellation that appeared a little early? ©INVEN With 'Suiming' looking down haughtily from the second floor, the lineup after the Yangyang Magistrate and Su-su is quite daunting. ©INVEN And of course, the Rover, who also gets a new attribute, can't be left out. ©INVEN Opposite that is the Trickcal booth, which has set a new record for blocking the entrance. ©INVEN I thought it was just a standard event booth with cosplayers, but... ©INVEN ??? I’m not sure if it’s okay for official channels to show this level of exposure in China, but this is Trickcal for you. ©INVEN They’re even running a VIP zone here, just like at the Taipei Game Show. What could be inside? ©INVEN The Razer zone that forces you to 'worship' it. The MSI booth was a bit disappointing, but the 2026 season isn't over yet. ©INVEN The 'Lord of the Mysteries,' which is frequently mentioned at this Bilibili World, also made a tour of the Razer booth. ©INVEN Silver Palace, which met users through a demo ahead of its CBT. ©INVEN The mascot craze is everywhere here too. ©INVEN After failing to break through the crowds in Hall 3, I headed to Hall 4, where the booth for 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Decisive Battle,' which has officially launched in Korea, caught my eye first. ©INVEN It’s time for heroes and beauties with 120% synchronization. ©INVEN I went to the Mistbound booth next door to try the demo... and my opponent was Kranich! The results will be revealed in the demo report. ©INVEN Duckov, one of the stars of last year's surprise hit. Who will be able to escape? ©INVEN At the front of the rear section of Hall 5, where package and indie games are gathered... ©INVEN Persona 4 Revival, scheduled for release next February, has taken its place. The wait time for a demo is a base of 4 hours. ©INVEN In the Intel zone next door, Delta Force is assembled. ©INVEN I see a familiar screen in the indie corner... ©INVEN ??? Why are you in the indie zone? ©INVEN The Muse Dash booth, which recently announced its second installment. Trying to get a demo is a pipe dream—ugh, I'm too late. ©INVEN And DAVE THE DIVER, which entered the Chinese market with XD, a staple for Chinese indie games. ©INVEN Even Real Bancho has appeared. Please show lots of love for Bancho the Chef! ©INVEN Playing the 'In the Jungle' DLC at a jungle-themed booth is the real deal. ©INVEN The strange layout of having the official Cygames store right next to it is part of Bilibili World's charm. ©INVEN Riot isn't here, but League of Legends can't be missing from an esports booth. ©INVEN The season for getting 1k Saint Quartz is approaching on the Chinese server. Korea should get ready soon too. ©INVEN The Azur Lane booth, where a gathering of popular cosplayers makes it impossible to even walk by. ©INVEN Dante is everywhere, even if the game hasn't launched in China. ©INVEN Assassin's Creed Black Flag Rethinked, released the day before the event. A masterpiece only gets better when it's re-released. ©INVEN Azur Promilia participated with a focus on on-site events rather than demos this year. ©INVEN From the dance of the mascot 'Baechu-sae'... ©INVEN To snapping photos with cosplayers everywhere. ©INVEN The wait time inside the amusement park-themed booth was quite long, but maybe time flies when you're looking at things like this? ©INVEN Miku's live performance amidst the Azur Lane booth, which also took over the central plaza—this is the flavor of Bilibili World. ©INVEN The Honor of Kings booth, with popularity rivaling an idol concert... ©INVEN And the Genshin Impact booth, where the Clockwork Princess has descended, guarding the entrance to the front of Hall 5 like an iron wall. ©INVEN I managed to break through to the Tencent booth, and is that Chaos Zero Nightmare? ©INVEN In the dungeon next door, robot dog training is in full swing. ©INVEN With the first of the next-gen open-world games, 'E-hwan,' also drawing a massive crowd... ©INVEN If something is hot, a 4-hour wait is the standard. Good heavens. ©INVEN I wanted to rob the Pink Purse vault with Zero, but I thought I'd run out of time, so I bailed. ©INVEN While I was taking care of a couple of appointments, the closing time was already approaching. ©INVEN The finale of the Punishing: Gray Raven booth, where mascots inheriting the madness of its 'sister game' were running wild. ©INVEN I was only able to enter the Nikke booth at the very last minute. ©INVEN If Anis welcomes me, it's all worth it. ©INVEN And Dorothy and Red Hood too? There was a reason I couldn't break through that crowd until the very end. ©INVEN Similarly, I could only approach the Blue Archive booth just before closing. It’s a Highlander theme, so that’s expected, but A.R.O.N.A, what are you doing? ©INVEN Mika, who worked hard all day, is adjusting her outfit for the final wrap-up. ©INVEN Passing by on the way to the exit, I see Three Kingdoms + Poker + Gintama? Well, if it's Gintama, it's okay. ©INVEN Goodbye to Spiky and Spiky for today. ©INVEN A final gathering of the cosplayers stationed throughout the venue. And so, the first day of Bilibili World comes to an end. ©INVEN
This article was originally written in Korean and translated with the help of NC AI. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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