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Chinese video games are reshaping Gamescom, Europe’s biggest gaming showcase

Chinese studios made a record showing at Gamescom 2025, debuting Phantom Blade Zero and Black Myth: Zhong Kui to packed crowds and global fanfare, cementing their place on gaming’s biggest stage

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A poster of the global hit video game Black Myth: Wukong, inspired by the ancient Chinese tale Journey to the West. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:00pm, 27 Aug 2025Updated: 11:06am, 28 Aug 2025

Tim’s fingers tightened on his PS5 controller as the Chinese word for “death”, or “game over”, appeared again and again on the screen. The black-clad hero he was guiding carried the aura of Chinese martial arts fantasy, drawing one of the longest queues at Gamescom 2025, held from August 20 to 24 in the German city of Cologne.

Visitors take pictures of models of the game Black Myth: Wukong during Gamescom 2025, in Cologne, Germany. Photo: Xinhua

“The art style is really cool, and even the boss fight I just cleared looked great,” said the young gamer from Germany’s Harz after a one-hour demo. Titled Phantom Blade Zero, the upcoming action role-playing game has already notched up 6 million views for its latest gameplay video on YouTube.

More than halfway through the five-day event, a record 50 Chinese exhibitors made their presence impossible to miss, their booths among the busiest at the world’s largest games fair.

On Gamescom’s Opening Night Live showcase on August 19, Chinese studio Game Science closed the event with a flourish, unveiling its latest title, Black Myth: Zhong Kui. Introduced by the host as “the last surprise before saying goodnight”, the two-minute trailer was met with thunderous cheers in Cologne and on the global livestream.