Walking through Gamescom, you’ll quickly notice that the most expansive, eye‑catching booths belong to household names – Capcom, Xbox, Sega, EA, Ubisoft, and the like. This year, however, a sizeable portion of Halls 6 and 7 is occupied by a brand most attendees probably haven’t heard of: 4Divinity.
"It’s massive by any measure," says Philip Doust, director of 4Divinity’s UK arm, describing the publisher’s Gamescom footprint. The company is presenting six titles in the closed‑door B2B zone, five of those in dedicated trailer showcases, and four on the public show‑floor across two separate stands.
The larger of the two spans roughly 800 square metres. Doust stresses that the ambition isn’t limited to square footage; the visual spectacle is equally lavish.
"We’ve hired one of the top booth‑builders at Gamescom and left no stone unturned," he explains. One of the highlighted experiences, the 80s‑inspired RPG *Showa American Story*, features a recreated Hollywood Hills set – renamed Neo Yokohama Hills in the game’s alternate timeline where Japan rules the United States. "We built a seven‑metre‑tall Golden Gate Bridge draped with Japanese lanterns, and a fully stocked diner that visitors can walk into to try the game. It’s all about immersion," Doust adds.
When asked about the cost, Doust refuses to give an exact figure, calling it "crass" to do so, but confirms that the investment runs into the millions. "The scale of our footprint alone shows we’re committing serious resources. It signals how seriously we’re taking the Western market – something not every Chinese‑based publisher is prepared to do." The reason this name may be unfamiliar is that 4Divinity is just one of several subsidiaries under Singapore‑based GCL Global Holdings, a conglomerate that also owns an imitation‑diamond jewellery business. GCL originally grew out of a physical‑distribution operation called Epicsoft, a business that has been running for nearly two decades.
While physical distribution remains a component of the group – "as long as Sony continues to produce discs, we’ll keep it alive" – Doust acknowledges that the model is in decline and that the company needs a stronger digital focus. Enter 4Divinity, launched in 2022 as a co‑publisher helping Western developers bring games to Southeast Asia.
Doust cites the success of *Atomic Heart* – which performed strongly in China – and *Stalker 2* as early proof points, but notes those were exceptions rather than a sustainable growth engine. "For a Nasdaq‑listed company like GCL, we needed a globally scalable publishing model," he says. The answer was to start signing Chinese‑developed titles for worldwide release. By the time Doust arrived in late 2024, the roster already included a few indie projects and the ambitious *Showa American Story*.
Today the portfolio has grown to eight games slated for release within the next two years, marking a rapid expansion phase. All of the titles share common traits: they are primarily single‑player experiences, run 15–20 hours, and sit in the mid‑tier price band. This focus on the "squeezed middle" of the market mirrors strategies employed by companies such as the US‑based ProbablyMonsters. Doust believes this segment captures what many players currently crave.
"People don’t have time for 200‑hour live‑service games, and they’re not willing to spend $80 on a single‑player title. A $40‑$50 price point for a well‑crafted experience hits the sweet spot." Developing games in this AA tier typically costs between $5 million and $20 million, regardless of whether the studio is in China or the West. Doust points out that to break even, a title needs to sell roughly a million copies – a challenging target given today’s discoverability hurdles.
Consequently, 4Divinity’s approach also includes a heavy emphasis on new intellectual property. "Everything you’ll see at Gamescom is brand‑new IP. Even in China, these are fresh concepts, and in the West they’re completely unknown," he explains. Larger publishers are increasingly risk‑averse, preferring to stick with established franchises, which leaves room for smaller players to introduce novel ideas.
The turning point for 4Divinity’s global ambitions, according to Doust, was the handling of *Black Myth: Wukong*. GCL managed the game’s physical PS5 distribution worldwide and acted as the publisher in Taiwan, leveraging its Singapore base to bridge the gap for the Chinese developer Game Science. The success of *Wukong* highlighted a broader opportunity: since China lifted its console ban in 2016, many Chinese studios have returned home to develop console and PC titles.
Doust notes that development costs in China are considerably lower – the game reportedly cost about 300 million yuan (≈ $44.6 million) yet sold 30 million copies, delivering a massive profit margin. Chinese gamers are also highly price‑sensitive, which shapes 4Divinity’s pricing strategy and makes it easier to test titles in other markets. Doust argues that while many major publishers have retreated from this segment due to financial risk, player demand remains strong, creating a "massive drought of supply." His mission is to match Western appetite for affordable, fresh experiences with the output of Chinese developers who can produce high‑quality games at a lower cost. He further explains his “common‑theme” thesis: universal narratives such as loyalty, trust, defiance, and revenge can be marketed with different cultural lenses while retaining the same core assets.
This, he believes, is an untapped approach that could give 4Divinity a competitive edge. In practice, the company often adopts a "do‑nothing" model for certain titles – focusing marketing effort on China and allowing a ripple effect to generate modest sales abroad.
*Wukong* exemplifies this, with roughly 80 % of its sales coming from China and 20 % from the rest of the world. Doust hopes to shift that ratio to a 60 %/40 % split by intensifying cross‑border promotion, which would dramatically increase unit sales without proportionally raising development costs. The push isn’t one‑sided.
4Divinity’s only non‑Chinese title at present, *Guns Of Eschaton*, was developed by Eschatology Entertainment – a new studio founded in Cyprus by a former Wargaming employee. The company launched the game’s promotion in China first, debuting it at Bilibili World in Shanghai, an approach rarely taken by Western publishers at such an early stage. The early buzz propelled China to become the second‑largest wishlist market for the game, trailing only the United States, a sign that the bidirectional strategy is working.
Thus, the massive Gamescom presence serves as the Western counterpart to the ChinaJoy showcase the company staged weeks earlier. Rather than waiting for a title to gain traction in China before moving west, 4Divinity aims to launch simultaneously in both regions, creating synchronized momentum. Gamescom also functions as a launchpad for the publisher itself. While individual game campaigns continue, the trade show allows 4Divinity to consolidate its portfolio under one high‑visibility banner, announcing its arrival to the Western audience in a single, impactful statement.
"If we’re using Gamescom as a portfolio showcase, why not go big?" Doust concludes, underscoring the company’s belief that bold exposure will accelerate its cross‑market ambitions.