EAG 2026 brought distributors, manufacturers and location-based entertainment operators together in London from 13 to 15 January. The show offered an early look at new European arcade releases, returning products and the growing overlap between arcade gaming and social entertainment.
The event was covered with assistance from UK-based contributor Ted and Kevin Williams of The Stinger Report.
EAG 2026: the UK amusement trade show
The Entertainment Attractions & Gaming Expo has been held at London’s ExCeL since 2011, following the end of the UK’s ATEI shows. It normally runs across three days in the second week of January and remains the main amusement trade show for the UK, as well as one of Europe’s most significant industry events.
The London Casino & Gaming Show and Social Immersive Entertainment Expo again occupied dedicated areas. The casino-focused section reflects the UK’s different gambling legislation, while the social entertainment event was more relevant to arcade operators, showcasing attractions built around projection, golf, shooting and shuffleboard.
Bandai Namco Amusement Europe
Bandai Namco Amusement Europe once again represented a broad selection of amusement suppliers. Raw Thrills made its European debut with Godzilla Kaiju Wars Deluxe and Jackpot Racer, while Wizard of Oz and Top Gun Maverick appeared at a UK trade show for the first time. Bandai Namco’s own deluxe shooter, GoldStorm Pirates, returned after its pre-release showing at the previous EAG.
The GoldStorm Pirates cabinet was largely unchanged, apart from the addition of gold-coloured guns. A nearby display listed Adrenaline Amusements, Andamiro and Leon Amusement among the companies represented by the distributor; their products on this occasion were mainly redemption titles. Triotech and JET Games also had existing attractions on display.
Superwin’s Mini World Motion followed its appearance on the Bandai Namco booth at IAAPA in November. The company’s shooter The Future, despite being promoted beforehand and tested in the UK, was absent, possibly because of limited booth space. Resident Evil 2: Dead Shot was also missing; its development and location testing apparently remain too early for a trade-show appearance.
The latest Pac-Man products included the Whack-The Ghosties ticket game and an interactive children’s ride. The ride occupied the position used by the Taiko no Tatsujin ride in 2025. Although Taiko had reportedly been tested at an undisclosed UK site, it did not appear at EAG 2026.
Crown Direct and Harry Levy
UK distributors Crown Direct and Harry Levy shared one of the larger stands. Bay Tek’s recent redemption products returned, as did Skull of Shadow, which had made its European debut at the previous show. TouchMagix’s Minions Bullseye Mania was also present after failing to appear through Bandai Namco the year before.
The stand also included Sega Amusements’ two-player version of On Target, illustrating how the distributors often display selected products from companies with their own presence elsewhere at the expo.
Electrocoin
Electrocoin’s current business is focused more heavily on redemption and fruit machines than the Japanese video-game brands it represented during its earlier years. One attraction on the stand was a videmption football game based on ICE’s World Football Pro concept, using a single caged ball rather than several dispensable balls.
The major draw was Konami’s European launch of Dance Dance Revolution World, shown in the new Universal cabinet. It occupied a prominent corner position and attracted plenty of players and onlookers. This photo at Flickr snapped by Intergame captures several people filming the machine.
The European software build reportedly removes some music and does not connect to Konami’s e-Amusement network. North American cabinets are expected to support the service, with reports suggesting they may reach that market by March. The EAG presentation therefore leaves open the question of whether the game, or other Konami products, will appear at Amusement Expo.
Electrocoin also displayed Stern Pinball’s latest machines, making it the only pinball presence at EAG 2026. Gary Stern attended with the company’s staff. Another Intergame photo here shows him at the event.
JNC Sales
JNC Sales handles both used equipment and new products, often sourced from smaller Chinese manufacturers such as ZS Cheer and Nitto. Its examples included Rooster N Bro 2DX; Amusement Source International also offers this title in the United States alongside The Container and Lucky Pong Challenge.
The largest machine on the stand was Furious Speed DX, another two-screen racing cabinet. Reports from the show described it as an unusual package: the underlying game has reportedly been available in China since 2014, while the newer presentation includes two screens, apparent AI-generated loading artwork and hastily assembled assets that appear unlicensed.
Sega Amusements International
Sega Amusements International occupied its usual position at the far left of the floor with a long, densely packed booth. Prize products such as Mini Cube Prize World were joined by the new ticket game Go Go Ducky and the social attraction Neoshuffle.
The racing section featured the standard Apex Rebels, the Motion Edition of Daytona Championship USA and the UK debut of IGS/Baohui’s Speed Rider 4DX. Bandai Namco distributes the latter in North America, while ELMAC II and Amusement Source International handle selected European and Middle Eastern territories.
European exclusives from ICE and LAI Games included the first UK trade-show appearances of Cyberpunk 2077: Turf Wars and Ubisoft All-Star VR. SAI and 3MindWave showed Alpha Ops VR Strike in a complete production cabinet with its full software, following an earlier preview.
SAI’s own products included Simon Arcade and Putt It! Par-Tee. The golf game appeared to have small changes from its IAAPA version, including a ramp to guide balls towards players and taller borders around the playfields.
UDC
UDC brought its usual mix of amusement equipment, including Elaut cranes such as the new E-Claw 2.0, Playmore pushers and the Breaking News photo booth.
UDC also displayed the existing DX version of StepManiaX. Its presence created an informal rhythm-game contrast with DDR, while the Step Revolution team timed its latest free content update to coincide with the exhibition.
The rear of the stand held deluxe products from China’s Ace Amusement. Jet Ski Racer, with its Wave Runner-like presentation, was the only one that had not previously been seen in the West. The vertical-screen version of Bikers Madness was also new, although its stacked-screen form had appeared at the previous EAG and at IAAPA.
Dance Show, a Chinese circle-based music game from Arccer Amusement, was another notable item. It was the first significant European distributor presentation for the title, although some imported examples had appeared earlier. Arccer had exhibited coin pushers at IAAPA rather than this game.
Other exhibitors and social entertainment
Instance Automatics returned after missing the previous EAG because of scheduling issues. As a UNIS representative, it showed a largely redemption-based range, with Jump Master and one Spin City providing the main video-game exceptions. Monster Jet Riders, Turbo Nova and Neon Rush were not present, for reasons that were not explained.
Pan Amusements showed the spooky two-player shooting gallery Monster Mash. The company usually concentrates on larger custom shooting ranges and attractions for location-based operators, and also had a bumper car on its stand. The game uses graveyard imagery and the phrase “it’s a graveyard smash”, referencing the well-known song.
Retro Arcade Specialists had booked space but its area was effectively empty. That meant the show missed a chance to display Unico equipment, along with pinball from Jersey Jack, Barrels of Fun and other manufacturers. Stern’s machines at Electrocoin consequently formed EAG 2026’s only pinball display.
The Social Immersive Entertainment Expo highlighted several developments that may interest Australian arcade operators. New UK entrant Robobike presented three advanced motorbike motion platforms aimed at different audiences, including an accessible model designed for wheelchair users. Unlike many comparable attractions from earlier years, the systems did not rely on headsets.
Game Volt showed the projection-based shooting gallery Hot Shots and Supercharged Shuffleboard. Shuffleboard was a strong theme across the event, also appearing through Sega’s Neoshuffle and an Elaut/Benchmark product from Ireland-based developers Pirate’s Cove.
Sim Way returned with a larger stand than in 2025. Its offering included a multi-mode shooting attraction with a zombie option and a projection-screen golf simulator.
Social Rivals took a projection-mapped approach to golf, offering several game modes rather than a single fixed course or hole layout.
Rilix was one of the few dedicated VR exhibitors. Alongside Alpha Ops VR Strike, Ubisoft All-Star VR and a simulator brought by UK laser-tag operator Laser Quest, it suggested that the market is moving away from large VR arenas and towards smaller, more contained installations.
What EAG 2026 tells us about arcade trends
EAG 2026 appeared to be a successful event overall, helped by strong attendance despite several notable absences. The Social Immersive Entertainment Expo added meaningful variety, particularly through shuffleboard, golf and shooting attractions. Its continued growth raises an interesting operating question: how can arcade-style versions such as Putt It! Par-Tee coexist with real-world social activities?
Rhythm games were another clear strength, led by DDR and StepManiaX. However, the absence of maimai DX and Taiko no Tatsujin was noticeable, especially after their recent North American releases. Wahlap was also absent, as were several recent UNIS and Ace products. Newer names including Blue Motion Games and Alan-1 still had no European presence, although Alan-1 was reportedly investigating opportunities.
Some manufacturers may be reserving European announcements for IAAPA Europe, scheduled for September in the same London venue. That event usually has more direct manufacturer participation than EAG, so it could provide another opportunity to see maimai, Taiko no Tatsujin and Resident Evil 2: Dead Shot.
For Australian readers tracking the wider market, the show is a useful reminder that new location-based entertainment is expanding beyond traditional cabinets. Operators are balancing rhythm games, racing machines, redemption, projection attractions, motion platforms and compact VR installations. Those considering equipment for a home or venue can also browse RETROCADE’s Arcade Machine Buying Guide, explore arcade machines, compare racing arcades or keep up with developments through the Arcade Blog.
Video coverage was also available from Arcade Belgium, Pinball News, GTI and Dan’s Out and About, including dedicated uploads and show-floor tours.
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