The #PlayGalaxy Cup is a global mobile gaming tournament designed to showcase the powerful gaming performance of Galaxy smartphones. This year marked the first time the competition was held as a full-season league, with regional qualifiers leading up to the World Final.

“This year was the first time the #PlayGalaxy Cup was held as a full season tournament, and we’ve witnessed thrilling competition from start to finish,” said David Moon, Head of Influencer Marketing, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is thrilled to have brought gamers from all over the world together to experience the powerful performance of Galaxy S26 Ultra.”

The regional qualifiers were held across five regions — North America, Southwest Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe — with 32 teams from 17 countries competing for a place in the final stage. The top two teams from each region advanced, bringing a total of 10 teams from nine countries to the World Final at Gamescom.

After proving their skills through the regional qualifiers, the finalists then competed over two days for the championship.

Players compete at the #PlayGalaxy Cup World Final during Gamescom 2026.

All players at the World Final competed on Galaxy S26 Ultra, whose powerful processing performance and optimized thermal management enabled high-intensity matches through stable, immersive gameplay.

Streamer Ludwig hosts the #PlayGalaxy Cup World Final at Samsung’s Gamescom 2026 booth.

The final was won by Malaysian team and was livestreamed worldwide on YouTube through streamer Ludwig’s channel, drawing a total of 12.1M views.

San Gaming, 1CAA, Adikboy and Acad from Team Malaysia celebrate after winning the #PlayGalaxy Cup World Final.

In addition to the #PlayGalaxy Cup World Final, Samsung operated a dedicated Galaxy experience zone at the venue, where visitors could get hands-on experience with Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra.

Through partnerships with HoYoverse, TiMi Studio, and Gameloft, visitors to Samsung’s booth were also able to experience a variety of popular game titles across Galaxy devices.

The company offered a behind-the-scenes look at how innovation translates into on-screen experiences — reinforcing Galaxy as a go-to choice for gamers worldwide.

At its booth inside the Koelnmesse exhibition hall, Samsung displayed a wide range of products. The company also welcomed attendees to The World of #PlayGalaxy, an event held at Dock² in Cologne-Mülheim. Samsung Newsroom captured some highlights from Gamescom 2025.

▲ The World of #PlayGalaxy at Dock²

Samsung Gaming Forum: Joint Endeavors With Like-Minded Partners 

On August 22, Samsung opened The World of #PlayGalaxy with the Samsung Gaming Forum — putting collaboration at the forefront. The panel featured leaders from Google, HoYoverse, Qualcomm and Samsung, along with content creator Rurusama, to explore how joint innovation is advancing the mobile gaming experience.

Panelists highlighted how adoption of the Vulkan Engine for 3D graphics, chipset optimization and new gameplay features is reshaping the Galaxy gaming experience.

“We strongly believe in the vision of Vulkan, so we co-developed a long-term roadmap alongside Samsung and others,” said Scott Carbon-Ogden, Senior Product Manager at Google. He noted that the companies share a vision of building a Vulkan-based Android ecosystem and making Vulkan the standard application programming interface (API) by 2027.

HoYoverse’s Vice President of Global Business Development, Fish Ling, explained how Vulkan was successfully introduced to Genshin Impact and delivers a 17.1% better FPS performance at the heaviest game frames, enabling smoother, more stable mobile gaming experiences, made possible with Samsung’s support. She also pointed to Game Help, a new feature within Circle to Search that lets players instantly access tips without pausing gameplay.

“The Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is designed to deliver next-level gaming experiences by maximizing performance while maintaining power efficiency,” said Bobby Oh, Director of Gaming Global Partnerships at Qualcomm. He introduced the chipset as the powerhouse behind recent innovations and optimizations.

▲ (From left) Moderator Craig Chapple, Jungwoo Kim, Scott Carbon-Odgen, Bobby Oh, Fish Ling and Rurusama

The forum underscored that these achievements were the result of collaboration across hardware, software and platforms by Samsung and its partners. The collective effort is helping ensure Galaxy devices remain at the forefront of mobile gaming.

The World of #PlayGalaxy Experience

▲ Visitors gather at The World of #PlayGalaxy.

After the Samsung Gaming Forum, attendees entered The World of #PlayGalaxy to experience a festival of gameplay that spotlighted Galaxy’s latest capabilities.

Fans explored zones created with Samsung’s partners that featured major titles such as PUBG Mobile, Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact and Mongil: Star Dive. Hands-on play showcased the Galaxy devices’ performance, immersive visuals and vivid displays, while also illustrating how collaboration delivers smoother gameplay and richer experiences for users.

▲ Visitors enjoy popular mobile games at the gameplay zone.

Special events added to the energy. PUBG Mobile influencers faced off in one-on-one battles, giving the crowd a taste of pro-level play. At Mongil: Star Dive booth, players raced through time-attack challenges that tested their skills and Galaxy’s performance.

The excitement continued on stage with creator-led talk shows and game-show style segments that blended entertainment and interaction, giving audiences new ways to engage with their favorite games and creators.

More than a device showcase, The World of #PlayGalaxy carried a strong sense of community. From collecting digital coins and snapping photos at the wall to picking up exclusive merchandise and sharing stories between matches, fans immersed themselves not only in the games but also in a culture of connection, creativity and play.

“The World of #PlayGalaxy was more than a product showcase,” said David Moon, Head of Influencer Marketing, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. “It was designed as an immersive space for mobile gaming fans to come together, experience Galaxy firsthand and celebrate the joy of play.”

▲ Crowds gather at a creator event.

#PlayGalaxy Cup

One of the highlights of The World of #PlayGalaxy was the #PlayGalaxy Cup, a tournament showcasing Galaxy’s performance and the passion of the gaming community.

Interactive elements let fans connect with Team Redox and Team Coa77k before the final showdown, where Team Redox claimed the title. Separate fan tournaments also gave everyday players a chance to compete, form new teams and test their skills under the same lights.

▲ #PlayGalaxy Cup champions Team Redox pose with the trophy.

Galaxy Innovation on Display

Samsung’s booth at Koelnmesse drew gamers from around the world, with attendees lining up to try popular titles on the latest Galaxy devices.

▲ Visitors crowd Samsung’s Gamescom 2025 booth to try out the latest Galaxy features.

Whether exploring expansive worlds, competing in fast-paced matches or multitasking mid-game, Galaxy devices kept pace — thanks to Samsung’s collaborations with leading studios on direct optimization.

Smooth performance and seamless device compatibility showed how Galaxy innovation meets the needs of both casual fans and competitive gamers while helping shape the future of mobile gaming.

▲ The World of #PlayGalaxy is an immersive space where mobile gaming fans could come together.

From the roar of the crowds at the #PlayGalaxy Cup to the bustle of the show floor, Samsung brought its gaming vision to life at Gamescom 2025 through its booth and The World of #PlayGalaxy — highlighting performance powered by Galaxy innovation, collaboration with partners and a global community shaping the future of mobile gaming.

On January 25, Samsung Electronics hosted the third #PlayGalaxy Cup in San Francisco. Collaborating with “Call of Duty®: Mobile” from game developer and publisher Activision, the #PlayGalaxy Cup showcased the Galaxy series’ innovative gaming performance in a tournament broadcasted live to gaming fans around the world via YouTube and Twitch.

Participating players used the Galaxy S25 Ultra and fully demonstrated the mobile device’s unmatched gaming capabilities. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, the Galaxy S25 Ultra supports seamless gameplay even for high-performance games such as “Call of Duty®: Mobile.” Vulkan optimization sets a new standard for mobile gaming with a true-to-life graphic experience, and the enlarged Vapor Chamber optimizes the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s cooling system for more stable gameplay.

Named #PlayGalaxy Cup: The Greatest Rivalry With “Call of Duty®: Mobile,” the tournament was centered around an exciting battle between two of North America’s premiere “Call of Duty®: Mobile” eSports teams. World-renowned professional players participated — including Aerith and Vague from Tribe Gaming and AyeoRaph and Cartels from Luminosity Gaming. The presence of popular game streamers Bobby Plays and TeeP further intensified the rivalry between Team Tribe and Team Luminosity.

Livestreamed globally on famous “Call of Duty®: Mobile” content creator iFerg’s YouTube channel, the tournament captivated mobile gaming fans around the world and attracted an impressive three million views. Popular streamers jasontheween, stableronaldo and Arky hosted a #PlayGalaxy Cup watch party and engaged with fans through livestreams at the venue. Meanwhile, “Call of Duty®: Mobile” streamer NoahSunday and other content creators held their own #PlayGalaxy Cup watch parties remotely.

On the day of the event, the venue was packed with more than 250 enthusiastic fans cheering for their favorite teams. A large screen at the center of the arena vividly displayed the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s immersive graphics, quick response time and smooth, seamless gameplay — revealing new possibilities in mobile gaming.

“I am thrilled to see my favorite Tribe players and watch their gameplay in person,” said one Tribe Gaming fan who visited on-site. “I am on the edge of my seat throughout every round, wondering which team will win.”

The Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on zone was prepared on-site, allowing audience members to experience the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s gaming performance themselves.

“Thanks to the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s excellent gaming performance, each team member could perform at their best and lead us to victory,” said Aerith from Tribe Gaming, captain of the winning team.

“The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s outstanding gaming performance provided a console-level gaming experience on mobile,” said TeeP, professional “Call of Duty®: Mobile” player and content creator.

During the tournament rehearsals, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro and JBL Quantum ONE headphones delivered exceptional audio quality that captivated players. Participants praised the wireless earbuds and headphones for their delay-free, realistic sound effects and professional-grade gaming performance.

“Thanks to the sound and noise-cancelling capabilities of the JBL Quantum One headphones, we were able to focus on the game and enjoy a more lifelike gameplay experience,” said Cartels from Team Luminosity.

“The #PlayGalaxy Cup was an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s powerful gaming capabilities to the world,” said Kiwook Moon, Head of Influencer Marketing Group, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to provide more innovative and immersive mobile gaming experiences through Galaxy devices.”

To read about other news and updates, please visit https://news.samsung.com/my/.