Hyundai is parking itself in the Retro & Family Area at gamescom 2025 with a playable throwback: the self-made “Insteroid Retro Arcade”.
It’s the first time an automaker has taken a solo slot in the zone, and Hyundai’s turning up with both a game and its star — the Insteroid concept car, a videogame-styled riff on the Inster sub-compact EV.
Running Aug 20-24 in Cologne, the booth blends show-and-tell with button-bashing.
Visitors can ogle the neon-tinged concept, then pilot its digital doppelgänger through a maze-chase arcade caper (think classic coin-op vibes with EV garnish) dodging baddies and hoovering up points.
This isn’t just playtime, says Hyundai; it’s strategy.
The brand’s leaning into gaming to meet younger audiences where they already live online, packaging mobility as part of everyday digital culture.
Senior vice-president and global CMO Sungwon Jee frames it as building emotional connections through interactive storytelling, not just billboard slogans.
After Cologne, the Insteroid roadshow continues: the game will pop up at Salone Auto Torino in September and the Japan Mobility Show in October.
A free online version is also rolling out on Hyundai’s global site and Instagram @hyundai, so you won’t need a show ticket or a stack of tokens to play.
Cars, controllers and a concept named like a boss battle: Hyundai’s wager is simple. If you can’t beat the algorithm, join the arcade.
