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"Stormwind's popularity is absolutely off the charts right now. This scene reminds me of ET's exhibition hall back in the day!"
"But perhaps next year or the year after, Stormwind will become like ET is now—watching new talents become the hottest companies!"
"ET no longer has its former glory. Many once-dominant gaming companies are like this—there's a day of triumph and a day of decline!"
"Yeah, Infinite Realms developers are like celebrities in entertainment. New stars are always emerging, but former stars eventually fade and get replaced by others!"
"Sigh, but at least they had their moment. Unlike our company—even though we've had some achievements over the years, we've always been lukewarm, middle-tier. Feels like underachievement!"
"True that. Stormwind earned several times more this year than our company did in five years!" Staff from other regional developers at the exhibition were discussing.
They looked at the bustling scene in Stormwind's hall, filled with envy.
Inside Stormwind's exhibition hall, reporters swarmed the objects covered by black tarps, taking endless photos, as if their cameras had x-ray vision.
The reporters all looked flushed with excitement. Though they hadn't captured the true appearance, it wasn't difficult to identify from height and general outline that it should be the currently popular anime, Mobile Suit Gundam. This meant Stormwind's next release would be Gundam.
Though reporters were personally certain, professional ethics dictated they couldn't make definitive statements. So various headlines like "Suspected Gundam?", "Is Stormwind's Next Project Gundam?", and similar question-marked titles appeared across major media outlets.
This immediately sparked heated discussions among players and fans. Though reports didn't provide definite answers, everyone was basically convinced it was Gundam.
"Hey? Is this car a new vehicle for Fast & Furious?" A reporter noticed the yellow sports car beside the exhibition hall. His press badge identified him as Marcus Chen, gaming journalist.
This yellow sports car was parked next to a Dodge Charger, but its design was a new model not seen in Fast & Furious.
Marcus walked over to the Camaro and examined it carefully, then looked at the brand logo: "Stormwind Automotive. Seems like a new model, maybe product placement for Fast & Furious?"
Though he suspected this car was likely added due to a commercial partnership, Marcus found the vehicle's appearance genuinely beautiful and was quite interested.
The model was incredibly realistic, indistinguishable from a real car. The doors could open, and the interior was completely authentic.
"Can I photograph the car's interior?" Marcus asked a nearby staff member.
"Yes, but please don't enter!" the staff member said.
"Sure, I'll just take some photos without touching anything!" Marcus replied. The staff member opened the car door. He stood to the side, bent down, and carefully examined the interior, which looked impressive.
He casually took several photos when suddenly, a special emblem in the center of the steering wheel caught his attention.
It was a badge-like symbol that at first glance resembled a stylized face mask. Upon closer inspection, it was composed of different shaped polygonal geometric figures pieced together forming a mask-like face. Very peculiar.
This was the first time he'd seen such a badge—completely different from the car's logo.
"Could it be a custom exclusive logo for this model?" Marcus wondered. He couldn't have imagined this emblem was actually the Autobot insignia.
"Marcus, what are you shooting?" a fellow reporter asked.
"Maybe Stormwind will also announce a new Fast & Furious storyline at this carnival. Look at this car!" Marcus pointed to the Camaro.
"Yeah, this vehicle hasn't appeared before!" The colleague noticed too.
Subsequently, Marcus's companion immediately wrote and published an article about possible Fast & Furious story updates.
Though articles about Fast & Furious wouldn't receive as much attention as a new release announcement, leveraging the franchise's massive fanbase could still bring considerable traffic.
Moreover, various outlets were rushing to report on Stormwind's new project, leading to fierce competition and severe traffic diversion—so their own angle might actually perform better.
Though the Infinite Realms opening ceremony hadn't yet begun, various reports had already swept across global media, with Stormwind Studios-related coverage accounting for 60%. Whether Stormwind's next project was Gundam became the hottest topic among players.
However, all answers would only be revealed after the opening ceremony began.
Alex, Morgan, Jake, Danny, and Isabella spent most of the day eating and shopping together. They arrived at the Infinite Realms Carnival ceremony venue an hour before the opening.
It was located inside a stadium where the stage had been fully set up. Large numbers of attendees were already waiting outside, awaiting permission to enter, while staff inside conducted final rehearsals and performers prepared.
Tonight's opening ceremony would include large-scale performances, an awards ceremony, promotional showcases for new content, and other segments.
After Alex led Danny, Morgan, Jake, and Isabella into the venue, they took seats in Stormwind Studios' employee section—centrally located in rear seating.
As a nominee for multiple awards, Alex's seat was in the very front area, directly before the stage. This section was already nearly full, mostly with developers invited to the ceremony and other nominees.
Alex simply greeted these industry peers, exchanging pleasantries and polite remarks.
Just then, a voice called out: "Alex!"
The voice was somewhat familiar. Alex looked in the direction and saw Emma Worthington walking over from a few rows behind. Alex was surprised to see her there: "Hey, why are you here?"
"Hehe, I'm attending the ceremony representing my dad!" Emma laughed. Seeing Alex's confusion, she immediately added: "My dad is an Infinite Realms player named Stormbreak. I don't know if you've heard of him!"
"Stormbreak is your DAD?" Alex nearly dropped his jaw. Of course he knew Stormbreak—one of the super whales on North American servers, a high-ranking player, owner of Striker-Vickers legendary gear, and also the first buyer of Mark 7 armor revealed in the region.
Alex never expected this mysterious whale was Emma's father. But then he thought it wasn't strange at all. Emma's dad was definitely the kind of person who was wealthy and had time—honor and status in the real world could no longer fully satisfy him, so pursuing virtual fame in virtual worlds and experiencing different lifestyles made perfect sense.
"Yeah, he's invited to the carnival every year, but you know—he wouldn't come to this kind of event. This year, I asked him for his spot so I could attend and see it live!" Emma laughed.
In addition to inviting outstanding developers, the Infinite Realms Carnival also invited top players to attend in person. After the ceremony, a banquet was held for developers, players, and Infinite Realms corporate staff to network and interact.
However, every year less than half of the invited top players actually showed up.
Most preferred remaining anonymous, enjoying their virtual achievements without real-world exposure.
But Emma had seized the opportunity. And honestly? Alex was glad she had.