NCsoft, Krafton fire back with new titles at Gamescom 2026

Five new games Krafton revealed trailers for at Gamescom 2026 [Krafton]

South Korea's two leading game developers, NCsoft and Krafton, unveiled a wave of new titles at Gamescom 2026, the world's largest gaming trade show, signaling a renewed push into the global market.

With a string of major releases now on the horizon, the domestic gaming industry appears poised to shake off a prolonged slump and stage a comeback.

Both companies showcased their upcoming games Wednesday (local time) at the event, which opened in Cologne, Germany.

Krafton kicked things off at the pre-show Opening Night Live event on Tuesday, revealing trailers for five new titles: Project Zeta, Age Twister, PUBG: Deadnet, NO LAW and Tarae: Unbound. Each trailer highlighted the game's world-building and core gameplay mechanics.

Particularly notable was the debut of PUBG: Deadnet, the latest entry in the PUBG franchise. The trailer introduced the game's setting — a fictional region called Cascadia in 1996, inspired by the real-world Pacific Northwest of the United States — and showcased its characters, gunplay and a roguelite progression system that carries over between matches.

NO LAW is an immersive open-world first-person shooter RPG. The game emphasizes player freedom, allowing users to choose from a wide range of approaches as they navigate various situations and missions.

Project Zeta, a multi-team tactical arena game, centers on capturing and returning a key object called the Prism, showcasing the hallmarks of multi-team tactical PvP. Tarae: Unbound also made its debut, offering a first look at the game's world and gameplay.

Age Twister is a two-player cooperative adventure following a grandfather and granddaughter as they trace the footsteps of a daughter and mother who has gone missing.

NCsoft's new game 'Like or Die,' unveiled at Gamescom 2026 [NCsoft]

NCsoft announced the official title of its previously teased "Project Bonfire" — Like or Die — and released two trailers for the game.

Like or Die is a next-generation team-based survival first-person shooter in development at NCsoft. Players take on the role of streamers on an interstellar platform called Quaya Stream, competing to be the last team standing.

NCsoft also chose the pre-show event to unveil the game's official title alongside its trailer for the first time. The footage featured dynamic combat using blocks and scenes of players destroying the opposing team's Nexus.

The company also launched a brand website, a Steam page and an official YouTube channel for Like or Die, releasing an additional trailer that offers a glimpse into the game's universe.

Users who set up an "ON AIR" notification on the brand website or add Like or Die to their Steam wishlist will receive updates on news and events as they are announced.

NCsoft said it plans to release more details about the game on a rolling basis. A release date has not been set.

sjpark@heraldcorp.com