Subculture Anime and Game Fans Gather in One Place... 'AGF 2025' Heats Up the Cold

Game Companies Lead with Subculture Characters
Smilegate, Nexon, NHN and Others Join the Event
Interactive Experiences Expand User Engagement

The animation and game festival "AGF 2025," held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, was a great success, drawing fans who braved the cold to attend. On the first day, December 5, a long line formed in front of KINTEX from early in the morning. Some attendees arrived on the first train at dawn, while others stayed overnight from the previous evening. The steady stream of visitors continued throughout the weekend.

On the morning of the 5th, people are lined up waiting to enter the animation and game festival "AGF 2025" at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 1 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Noh Kyungjo

Domestic game companies set up booths to promote subculture games currently in development. While there were demo zones, most booths focused on interactive events to encourage visitor participation. A variety of merchandise was also prepared as prizes.

As an event sponsor, Smilegate showcased its flagship title "Epic Seven" and "Mirage: Invisible Future" (Mirage), which is being developed by Control Nine, at this year’s AGF. This was the first time "Mirage," which was unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) in September, was introduced to Korean users. On the main stage next to the demo zone, events such as cosplay, a drawing show hosted by voice actor Nam Dohyung and Ddotty, and more were held. There was also a refresh zone where visitors could relax during the event.

Nexon themed its booth around "Mabinogi Mobile," which won the Grand Prize at this year’s Korea Game Awards. The booth recreated the in-game village of "Tir Chonaill" as a real-world space. A Nexon representative explained, "Although 'Mabinogi Mobile' is not a subculture game, we set up this booth to expand our touchpoints with users. With a timed reservation system, visitors can explore comfortably and also receive our first official merchandise (cushion)."

A cosplay event is taking place at the Neowiz "Brown Dust 2" booth during the animation and game festival "AGF 2025," held on the 5th at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 1 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Kyungjo Noh

At the NHN booth, the promotional video for "Oshi no Ko: Puzzle Star," a game based on a popular Japanese TV animation, was the first thing to catch visitors’ eyes. Inside, events such as "Guess the Famous Scene" and "Character Gacha" were in full swing. NHN is in charge of global publishing (excluding Japan) and development for "Oshi no Ko: Puzzle Star," which is scheduled for release next year. In addition, a DJ performance using the OST from "Abyssdia," a collectible RPG first released in Japan in August, captivated attendees.

The "Goddess of Victory: Nike" booth was packed to the point where there was barely room to stand. Even more visitors gathered during the "Lucky Draw" event. As part of the AGF program, there were events such as the "Nike Mini Concert" by the band Deokhuchigae and a "Mini Game with the Developers" featuring Director Yoo Hyungseok. Developed by Shift Up and serviced by Level Infinite, "Goddess of Victory: Nike" is considered a leading success story among subculture games.

NCSOFT set up a booth for its new publishing title "Limit Zero Breakers," which is scheduled for global release in the first half of next year. The game is currently recruiting CBT participants. At the AGF booth, visitors could enjoy programs such as cosplay, three types of mini-games, a bonus roulette, and a photo zone. Netmarble prepared an interactive event to celebrate the 8th anniversary of its long-running mobile game "Fate/Grand Order," released in 2017, and also promoted "MonGil: Star Dive," which is slated for release in the first half of next year.

At the 'AGF 2025' animation and game festival held on the 5th at Kintex Exhibition Hall 1 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, a queue continues in front of the 'Goddess of Victory: Nike' booth. Photo by Kyungjo Noh

Meanwhile, since its first edition in 2018, AGF has become an event that attracts attention from game companies as the popularity of subculture games has grown. According to the AGF Organizing Committee, the participation rate of game companies increased by about 50% compared to last year. This is attributed to the growing number of animation-based games and increased interest in expanding intellectual property through character utilization. AGF will run until December 7.