Sure there are video game shows. There are cons. These are common occurrences what with the popularity of gaming in the Philippines. But gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show 2025 (hereafter shorted to just gamescom) was surprising in both size and ambition. I was told we were going to a show, but I underestimated how big, fun, interesting, and thought provoking it would all be.

Before we get to the fun, we have to talk about the business.

The first two days were focused on B2B discussions and deal-making. Game developers from all over the world flew in to share insights, observations, and honest challenges about being in the games industry. While the inclination for events like this is to be overly celebratory and big rallying cries for an industry or sector, many speakers spoke about the challenges that the games industry is facing.

While the games industry continues to grow, it is much slower than before. Alongside the slowed growth is a lot of news about revenue challenges which come alongside massive, often brutal layoffs. Speakers were candid about how these conditions were driving some people away from games. As an outsider looking in, I admired game developers taking this moment not just to network or promote, but really to consider how they might address the challenges honestly.

One of the biggest voices was keynote speaker and creator of Dead Space and Call of Duty Glen Schofield. I’ll admit to being a bit biased and starstruck watching a guy whose games shaped some of the most meaningful moments in my gaming life. He urged people to, “Get your guts back,” and to invest and believe in the ideas that game devs have. He also shared 9 tips on how to be more creative (piece on that to follow soon). Schofield also received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to gaming.

There was an interesting range of B2B talks. I attended the Women in Games Asia panel that discussed surviving retrenchment and resignations in the game industry. The key takeaway: the pain and self-doubt can be excruciating, so it’s important to have communities to turn to.

One of the most insightful was an entrepreneurial talk by Saranpat Sereewiwattana, Vice President of the Thai Game Software Industry Association. He talked about how to run a tight ship when you’ve received funding, and “running like a pirate” instead of like a king. Staying slim, knowing your deadlines to deliver, and being smart about where you put other people’s money. It’s a talk that would work for almost any industry.

Sometimes I want to play it cool. And sometimes there’s no playing it cool.

The first two days focused on B2B were held in one area of Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. But the floor opened to the public over the weekend was massive.

People came in droves, some just looking like standard nerds, some in fully decked out and intricate costumes. The last update put the count of attendees as 206,159.

All these fans were treated to huge booths, playtests, and other activities.

I especially appreciated that exhibitors and developers of all kinds were represented there. You could have your giants like Nintendo, Xbox, and Playstation, and walk a couple hundred meters or so and you could lose yourself in indie booths. As a Filipino looking at the rows upon rows of Thai games, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the number and variety on display. I also got to visit the booth of the Filipino devs behind High Times and Spirit Rancher.

All in all, after the B2B discussions which aimed to inspire game devs and the gamescom floor that was a chance for gamers and fans to immerse themselves in their various fandoms and communities, it was an inspiring thing to see. The game industry might be facing challenges, but that’s not the topline here. The most important thing was seeing how much people loved games, and how much they loved sharing that love.