As the year draws to a close, it’s once again time for all the major gaming events to kick into high gear as the holiday season approaches, and in Asia, there’s perhaps no event larger than the Tokyo Game Show (TGS), which has once again proven its mettle with its 2025 iteration, and as always, the show floor was dominated by duo Japanese gaming giants Sega and Atlus.
Running from 25 to 28 September at Makuhari Messe, the show will once again comprise the first two business days, following which it will finally open its doors to the public, allowing all to witness its smorgasbord of gaming demos, booth experiences, cosplayers, mascots and much more. Hot tip for those keen on going, arrive way before its stated 10am opening, as queues are expected to be massive as thousands flock to be the first to try their hands on the latest and greatest upcoming titles.
Once in the hall, it would be quite impossible to miss the Sega / Atlus combined booth, as it makes an impression from afar, decked out in the signature Sonic neon blue lighting and massive screens showcasing the happenings on the booth’s event stage. Sega’s line-up this year consists of its flagship racing game, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, RGG Studio’s Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Tides, alongside Football Manager 26, while Atlus brings its hit 2024 remake, Persona 3 Reload, to the Nintendo Switch 2.
As the showstoppers this year, the front of the booth is split right down the middle between gameplay demos for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and Yakuza Kiwami 3. Sega’s going all out this year with the number of demo units available, featuring rows upon rows of machines to accommodate eager fans. Once they’ve had their fun with the demos, fans can also head to each title’s photobooth, conveniently located at the exit of both sections, where they can snap a photo with mascots and cosplayers from both titles, including Sonic, Shadow, Pac-Man, and Mega Man, alongside various characters from RGG Studio’s extensive line-up of past games like Goro Majima.
Flanking the sides of the booth are the remaining two titles, Personal 3 Reload on Nintendo Switch 2 and Football Manager 26. Both also feature an interactive booth experience, with the former not only providing a demo play experience, but also a neat carnival-like shooting game, and an opportunity to simulate some fun in the sun with beach babes and hunks. The latter might not have a playable demo on the showfloor, but instead offers the Sega Kick Challenge, letting visitors test their footwork for a chance to win some exclusive goodies.
Finally, apart from all these gameplay and interactive booth experiences, the Sega / Atlus stage once again provides a plethora of live shows and broadcasts, ranging from interviews with developers and pro players to performances by artists like Lotus Juice and DJ: RAM RIDER, and even an exciting racing tournament between Southeast Asia guest influencers. Each show generally lasts around 20 minutes.
The Sega / Atlus booth for TGS 2025 is located in Hall 4 of Makuhari Messe, with the full exhibit line-up as follows:
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Tides
- Persona 3 Reload on Nintendo Switch 2
- Football Manager 26 (experience)
- Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage
- EA Sports FC 26 (partner showcase)
- Project Motor Racing (partner showcase)
- Borderlands 4 (partner showcase)
- Kyoran Makaism (partner showcase)
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Si Jia
