One of the founding fathers of the first-person shooter is coming to Bangkok. gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show 2026 has announced that John Romero — co-founder of id Software and co-creator of Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein 3D — will headline the show’s business area conference with a keynote titled “Why We Still Make Games.” The event runs 29 October to 1 November 2026 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok.
John Romero’s Keynote — “Why We Still Make Games”
Romero’s talk promises a personal look at four decades in games — from the garage sessions that produced the id Software catalogue to building Romero Games in later years. The keynote is scheduled for the business area conference, which is open to industry professionals and media on 29 and 30 October. For Singapore attendees flying up on a media or professional pass, those are the days to book around.
Beyond Romero, the conference spans four stages and features over 70 speakers from more than 20 countries, with executives from Roblox, Tencent, Rovio Entertainment and Gameloft confirmed among the line-up. A pitch competition, Invest Circle and VIP Mixer round out the industry programme, alongside the Thailand Game Talent Showcase spotlighting student-made titles from Thai universities.
Bigger Than Ever — The 2026 Show Floor
This year’s entertainment area expands to four halls for the first time, pushing the total event footprint past 35,000 sqm — a 20% jump from the inaugural 2025 edition, which drew 206,159 visitors from 95 countries across 294 exhibitors. Given that scale in its first year, the 2026 growth is a strong signal that the show has found its footing as Southeast Asia’s answer to a full-scale gaming and pop-culture convention.
Confirmed Exhibitors: Nintendo, CAPCOM, SEGA, Pokemon Company and More
The exhibitor roster already reads like a major trade show. Platinum Sponsor Synnex-Nintendo is on board alongside AMD, Bandai Namco Entertainment, CAPCOM, SANDISK, SEGA and The Pokemon Company. For Singapore fans of Nintendo Switch titles, mainline Pokemon games and the CAPCOM back-catalogue, having all three on the same floor in one Bangkok weekend is a worthwhile draw — and Bangkok is a two-hour flight from Changi with no visa required for Singapore passport holders.
ACE Bangkok Joins the Show — Anime, Manga and Fandom Under One Roof
New for 2026: ACE Bangkok, described as Thailand’s newest pop-culture platform covering anime, manga, comics, film and fandom, will be embedded within the show for the first time. That makes the entertainment area meaningful for fans beyond games — if last year’s 200,000-strong turnout was mostly driven by gaming alone, ACE Bangkok could push the 2026 figure considerably higher and widen the appeal for Singapore’s pop-culture crowd.
Dates, Tickets and Getting There from Singapore
The public entertainment area runs 30 October to 1 November 2026 at QSNCC Bangkok. Industry and media access opens a day earlier on 29 October. Accreditation applications are open via the official media form. Public ticket and exhibitor details are available at gamescom.asia.
For Singapore readers, October is a historically good month for a Bangkok trip — cooler weather, no overlap with major SG convention dates, and a weekend bracket that makes the public days doable on a short getaway. Keep an eye on our events page as more exhibitors and speakers are confirmed ahead of October.