On January 29th in Hanoi, the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) in coordination with VnExpress Newspaper and Vietnam Game Alliance officially announced Vietnam Game Festival - Vietnam GameVerse 2026.
After four years of organization, Vietnam GameVerse 2026 marks an important turning point when it for the first time brings the Southeast Asian-scale esports tournament into the framework of the event, thereby completing the ecosystem of the Vietnamese game industry and strengthening international connection.
Entering its fourth year, Vietnam Game Festival - Vietnam GameVerse 2026 - has the theme "Together reaching out to the big sea - Do local, go global". This message emphasizes the sustainable development orientation of Vietnam's game industry, taking domestic strength as the foundation for integration and expansion to regional and international markets.
With the above theme, Vietnam GameVerse 2026 aims to spread the development story of the Vietnamese game industry, from content creation, product development, community building to exporting intelligence and brands to the world.
Speaking at the announcement ceremony, Mr. Le Quang Tu Do - Director of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) said that Vietnam GameVerse has gone through a period of initial concerns to gradually realize the goal of connecting the gaming community, especially the participation of major international partners this year.
According to him, the highlight of Vietnam GameVerse 2026 is the appearance of the Esports puzzle, thereby completing the ecosystem of five "houses": the State, developers, publishers, schools and Esports. This is also a factor that creates the difference of the event in Vietnam compared to many international models.
Mr. Le Quang Tu Do said that Vietnam GameVerse not only stops at honoring excellent businesses and game products, but also for the first time organizes an official Esports tournament within the framework of the festival, instead of performance matches. According to the plan, 11 teams from Southeast Asia will participate in competing in the two days of the event.
Acknowledging that operating an international esports tournament within the framework of the game festival faces many challenges, he said that the organizers have received the companionship of large units in the industry. "Commitments to jointly develop the game industry all have weight and are concretized by actions, turning difficulties into motivation for the Vietnamese game industry to develop stronger," he emphasized.
From 2023 to now, Vietnam GameVerse has continuously expanded in scale, content and influence. 2026 marks a turning point with a series of new points, in which the introduction of professional esports tournaments into the program is prominent, typically the Southeast Asian Nations Esports Cup tournament.
In addition, the event organizes a series of fan meetings with leading Esports teams in Vietnam, and at the same time promotes B2B activities in a specialized direction with the participation of businesses, developers and game publishers at home and abroad, opening up more opportunities for connection and cooperation.
Notably, Vietnam GameVerse 2026 is the first year to officially open ticket sales. According to the organizers, this allows for deeper investment in content, experience space and exclusive activities, thereby improving the quality of events and towards a sustainable, professional organization model, close to major game and esports events in the region.
The Vietnam GameVerse 2026 series of activities is expected to start from February and last until May 2026, ending with the Vietnam Game Festival in Ho Chi Minh City. The program includes four main groups of activities: Vietnam Game Awards – Vietnam Game Awards 2026, Vietnam Game Forum 2026, GameHub competition, along with entertainment and esports competition activities.
In which, the Vietnam Game Awards is expected to have 21 awards, divided into four categories including The Golden Galaxy for games released in Vietnam, The Golden Sun for Vietnamese games, The Golden Star for Esports and The Golden Gear for devices, products, and services related to games.
