The evaluation round is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the council and investors score submissions based on the organizing committee's criteria, selecting high-scoring projects to advance. In the second stage, team representatives present directly to the council. Each team has 5 minutes for introduction and 10 minutes for Q&A, receiving feedback and development guidance.

This year, the number of submissions increased significantly. From around 60 submitted applications, the organizing committee filtered down to 41 projects for the in-depth evaluation round. This list includes diverse genres such as action, shooting, role-playing, life simulation, and art games. Many projects draw on Vietnamese cultural elements, such as Tram Yeu Diet Ma: Loan The Quy Linh, inspired by mythology; Son Thuy Truyen Ky - Linh An Than Son, in the Metroidvania style; and Sao Thang Tam, which recreates the 1945 famine from a survival horror perspective.

Organizing committee representatives pictured with the Evaluation and Investment Council at GameHub 2025. Photo: Thanh Tung

Additionally, modern concepts like Net 24h: Vietnamese Internet Cafe Chaos, which simulates internet cafe culture; VNRacing, featuring domestic scenic routes; or Zone Nine Nihilation, a 5v5 competitive shooter, demonstrate a trend of combining local elements with global gameplay. Overall, these projects reflect Vietnamese developers' efforts to create distinctive products targeting both domestic and international markets.

Promising projects will finalize their plans to pitch at the final round on 8/5. The five best projects will receive a media package valued at 100 million VND and 50 million VND in cash from the organizing committee to promote and accelerate their market launch. Additionally, teams will have further opportunities to secure investment capital and connect with industry businesses for collaboration.

Vietnam GameHub 2026 is a program dedicated to discovering and connecting developing Vietnamese game projects. Over successive seasons, the program has identified many creative ideas, building bridges to help teams access investors, publishers, and strategic partners.

The event is a highlight of Vietnam GameVerse 2026, themed "Do Local - Go Global" (together reaching out to the big sea). The event offers numerous activities such as Game Expo, Cosplay Contest 2026, and professional esports tournaments. This year, the organizing committee expects to welcome over 50,000 attendees, while also expanding the business-to-business (B2B) and independent game developer areas.

The program is collaboratively organized by the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, Vietnam Game Development Association, VnExpress Newspaper, and FPT Online Services Joint Stock Company (FPT Online).

Thai Anh