Asia Game Festival 2025, held within the CICF Expo in Guangzhou from 2 to 5 October, offered a substantial arcade presence alongside its consumer and home-gaming attractions. CICF is often viewed as China’s counterpart to major international events such as Gamescom and the Tokyo Game Show.
Footage and photographs appeared gradually after the exhibition, but the material available now shows a varied selection of tournaments, amusement releases, prize attractions and VR demonstrations. For more industry coverage, browse the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
Wahlap leads the arcade programme
The most prominent arcade activity came from Wahlap, which staged the finals of this year’s Wahlap E-Sports Championship during the event. Following qualifiers held earlier in the year, the finals covered Taiko no Tatsujin, Maimai DX, Chunithm, Initial D The Arcade, Asphalt Moto Blitz DX and Kingdoms Fantasy.
The first-day highlights appear below, while the day-two video was shared through Wahlap’s Facebook page.
Wangan Midnight Speed Ignition heads to China
Wahlap used the closing moments of the show to announce that it will carry Bandai Namco’s Wangan Midnight Speed Ignition in China. The move has some precedent, as Wahlap has already sold versions of the Maximum Tune series in that market, while the new game’s online presence had suggested that a Chinese release was likely.
The timing still makes the announcement noteworthy because Speed Ignition had not yet launched in Japan. China will also bypass Maximum Tune 6, moving on from Maximum Tune 5 in a situation comparable with North America, where the series also remained on version 5. This may indicate which version Western markets will eventually receive.
Wahlap has also shared direct-capture footage of Storm Racer 2, available in the linked YouTube video. Readers interested in driving attractions can also view RETROCADE’s racing arcades and learn more about choosing a suitable arcade machine.
UNIS showcases prize and card attractions
UNIS presented a highlights package focused largely on prize attractions, reflecting its licensing partnerships, including those associated with Genshin Impact. The company also demonstrated cabinets for its card-based games Picture Book Land and Amazing Universe.
Other arcade activity at AGF
There were several other arcade and arcade-adjacent displays across the exhibition floor, with this show-floor post offering additional views of the event.
3MindWave brings a compact VR presentation
3MindWave exhibited a simplified version of Alpha Ops VR Strike. Instead of bringing the full cabinet, the booth used a display screen with headset guns. The studio has used comparable portable configurations at another Asian event and previously showed VR Agent in a similar format at a VR exhibition in Europe. The arrangement appears to be a practical way to attend events where transporting a complete cabinet is difficult, rather than evidence of a separate non-arcade edition.
Graphics behind the booth showed several other 3MindWave projects, including work involving Sega Amusements. One was Jet Blaster, a title branded as a Wahlap release. 3MindWave staff were involved because development began before the studio had fully opened.
Pokémon Mezastar and Bandai Namco
Separate from the championship area, Wahlap shared a booth with Marvelous for the recent Chinese release of Pokémon Mezastar. Bandai Namco also had a prize-oriented presence similar to UNIS. The following video includes both displays as well as another look at the 3MindWave booth.
BuckFest 2025 provides additional arcade coverage
AGF was not the only significant arcade event taking place during this period. In the West, BuckFest 2025 hosted the Big Buck Hunter Championships. More detailed coverage was planned after the event, while livestreams from day one and day two provide an immediate look at the competition.
Which games or exhibitors from Asia Game Festival 2025 stood out to you?
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