[기자수첩] I hope to meet ‘Tarcof’ Busan, ‘Global G -Star’

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Escape From Tarkov, the popular first-person shooting (FPS) game, is set to officially launch after eight years of open beta. The developers have indicated the Korean game event ‘G -Star’ as the first major event following the launch.

Developed by Battle State Games, a Russian game company, Tarkov combines military elements with PVE (player versus environment) and PVP (player versus player) gameplay. Its hardcore online play, where player death results in the loss of in-game items, has garnered a dedicated following.

The game’s popularity has spurred the development of similar titles, known as ‘PVPVE Shooters‘ or ‘Extraction Shooters’. In Korea, companies like Nexon (Paradise: Last Paradise), Craft Tone (Project Black Burget – Tentative), and Wemade (Black Vertians) are actively developing games in this genre.

Developers from ‘Tarcof’ are familiar with the Korean gaming scene. The official launch, scheduled for November 15, the third day of G -Star 2025, is expected to feature a critically important event.

“I wish these cases further activated and the word ‘global G -Star’ is taken for granted.”

Battle State Games has included G -Star as part of their tarkov World Tour this year. The tour includes stops at the PENNY Arcade Expo (PENNY ARCADE EXPO), the Tokyo Game Show in September, and Paris Games week in October, before concluding with G -Star in November.

G -Star, which began in 2005, has been held over 20 times.Last year’s event saw participation from 1375 companies across 44 countries,with Korean game companies occupying nearly half of the B2C exhibition booths.

The presence of foreign games,particularly those considered pioneers in their genres,at G -Star highlights the event’s growing international meaning. The hope is that this trend will continue, solidifying G -Star’s position as a global gaming event.