Walking through Gamescom, you’ll instantly recognise the massive, eye‑catching booths that belong to industry heavyweights—Capcom, Xbox, Sega, EA, Ubisoft, and the like. This year, however, a sizable portion of Halls 6 and 7 is occupied by a name most visitors probably haven’t heard before: 4Divinity. “It’s huge by any measure,” explains Philip Doust, director of 4Divinity’s UK arm, when describing the company’s Gamescom footprint. The publisher is showcasing six titles in the closed‑door B2B zone, five of which will appear in the accompanying trailer showcases, and four will be displayed on the public show floor across two separate stands.
The larger of those stands spans roughly 800 square metres. 4Divinity is not just betting on size; it is also investing heavily in spectacle. “We’ve hired one of the best booth‑builders at Gamescom and left no stone unturned,” Doust says. One of the most striking displays belongs to the 1980s‑inspired RPG *Showa American Story*.
The booth features a replica of the Hollywood Hills, re‑imagined as “Neo Yokohama Hills” in an alternate timeline where Japan rules the United States. “We built a seven‑metre‑tall Golden Gate Bridge adorned with Japanese lanterns, and a fully functional diner that visitors can walk into to try the game. It’s all about creating an immersive experience,” Doust adds. When asked about the cost, Doust declines to give a precise number, calling it “crass,” but he confirms that the investment runs into the millions.
“The sheer scale of our footprint shows how seriously we’re taking the Western market—a commitment not all Chinese companies share or even understand,” he notes. So why might you not have heard of a firm capable of spending such sums? 4Divinity is part of a larger Singapore‑based conglomerate, GCL Global Holdings, which also owns an imitation‑diamond jewellery business.
GCL’s roots lie in physical game distribution through a company called Epicsoft, a business that has been operating for nearly two decades. While physical distribution remains a component of GCL’s revenue—so long as Sony continues to produce discs—Doust acknowledges that the model is in decline, prompting the group to pivot toward digital‑first strategies.
4Divinity was launched in 2022 as a co‑publisher helping Western developers bring their titles to Southeast Asia. Doust recounts that finding a Western game that resonates in China is exceptionally challenging. The company succeeded with *Atomic Heart*, which performed strongly in the Chinese market, and later replicated that success with *Stalker 2*.
However, those titles were outliers rather than a sustainable growth engine. As a Nasdaq‑listed entity, GCL needed a more scalable growth model.
“From a growth perspective, we had to become a global publisher,” Doust says. The shift led 4Divinity to start signing Chinese‑developed games for worldwide release. By the time Doust joined in late 2024, the portfolio already included a few indie projects and the ambitious *Showa American Story*.
Today, the slate has expanded to eight games slated for release over the next two years, marking a rapid expansion phase. The current portfolio shares a common thread: all titles are primarily single‑player experiences, offering roughly 15‑20 hours of gameplay at mid‑tier price points.
This focus was not pre‑planned but emerged as a coherent strategy aimed at the “squeezed middle” of the market—a segment also being targeted by U.S. studio ProbablyMonsters. Doust believes this is exactly what many gamers want today: they lack the time for 200‑hour live‑service games, and the $80‑plus price tag is reserved for a handful of blockbuster franchises.
Instead, players are willing to spend $40‑$50 on a well‑crafted, self‑contained adventure. Developing such games is costly, however. “These projects typically require $5‑$20 million in development budget, whether they’re built in China or the West,” Doust explains. To break even, a title must sell around a million copies—a daunting target given today’s discoverability challenges.
4Divinity’s approach also diverges in its emphasis on new intellectual property. Every title on display at Gamescom is a fresh IP, both for Chinese and Western audiences. Larger publishers are increasingly risk‑averse, focusing on established franchises because development costs have skyrocketed.
“AAA studios have become franchise machines; unless you already own a franchise, you’re rarely given a chance,” Doust observes, noting that a few emerging Chinese studios are beginning to buck this trend. The turning point for 4Divinity’s global ambitions was the success of *Black Myth: Wukong*.
GCL handled the game’s physical PS5 distribution worldwide and acted as publisher in Taiwan. Because the developer, Game Science, is Chinese, it lacked the infrastructure to manage global logistics, giving 4Divinity a unique entry point.
The console ban lifted in 2016 allowed many Chinese developers who had been working abroad to return home and form console‑focused studios. *Wukong* was among the first to capitalize on this new environment, and its triumph signaled a broader opportunity. Financially, *Wukong* was a revelation.
Chinese tax filings suggest a development budget of roughly 300 million yuan (about $44.6 million). By June of this year, the game had sold 30 million copies, delivering a massive profit margin.
“Development costs are far lower in China, and Chinese gamers are very price‑sensitive,” Doust says. This dynamic shaped 4Divinity’s regional strategy and reinforced the belief that there is a substantial unmet demand for affordable, high‑quality single‑player experiences. Doust’s mission is to bridge Western demand for fresh, reasonably priced games with the supply of Chinese developers who can deliver them efficiently.
He explains his original thesis when he began working with GCL chairman Jacky Choo: “What if we could find universal themes—loyalty, trust, revenge—that resonate across cultures? Then we market the same game with different messaging tailored to each region.” He argues that no one has yet mastered this cross‑cultural marketing approach. Even without an aggressive push, games tend to cross borders, but 4Divinity aims to make the process intentional.
Doust describes their “do‑nothing” business model: they focus marketing primarily in China, allowing a ripple effect to the West, typically resulting in an 80/20 sales split favoring China. *Wukong* exemplified this, selling 20 million copies in China and 3‑4 million elsewhere.
Doust hopes to improve that ratio to 60/40, which would dramatically increase overall sales volume. The company is also experimenting in the opposite direction—introducing Western titles to Chinese audiences.
Their first non‑Chinese game, *Guns of Eschaton*, developed by Cyprus‑based Eschatology Entertainment, was launched at Bilibili World, Asia’s massive anime and pop‑culture expo in Shanghai. No Western publisher typically makes such an early appearance at a Chinese convention. The move generated enough buzz that China became the second‑largest wishlist market for the game after the United States.
4Divinity’s massive Gamescom showcase mirrors this dual‑market strategy. The titles will appear at Cologne shortly after a run at ChinaJoy in Shanghai, ensuring simultaneous exposure in both regions rather than a lagged rollout.
Doust emphasizes that Gamescom serves as the company’s Western “coming‑out party.” While they do run individual game campaigns, the trade show allows them to consolidate all efforts into a single, high‑impact event. “If this is a portfolio‑wide push to introduce our games and our brand to the West, why not go big?” he concludes.