Gamescom 2026 is set to be the biggest edition of the event yet, with more than 1,600 exhibitors expected to take part in the Germany-based gaming showcase. Since launching in Cologne in 2009, gamescom has grown into one of the world’s largest gaming events, drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees and exhibitors from around the globe annually. The record turnout comes during a challenging period for the global games industry, which has faced widespread layoffs, studio restructures and closures in recent years.
Ahead of the event, Deadline spoke with Felix Falk, Managing Director of games at The German Games Industry Association, and Tim Endres, Director of gamescom at Koelnmesse, about what the record number of exhibitors says about the state of the industry, Germany’s efforts to become a more competitive games production hub and how one of the world’s largest video game conventions manages to stay loyal to its dedicated indie fanbase.
DEADLINE: Gamescom 2026 is breaking records with more than 1,600 exhibitors in the mix. What does this tell you about the state of the global games industry right now?
FELIX FALK: We know it’s been tough for the past few years in the global games industry. We have had a big consolidation and not easy times for the companies, but in these circumstances, it’s great to see that at gamescom everyone gathers, everyone wants to be part of this to show the new games and to find new investors and create new endeavors and companies and projects. So, gamescom shows how lively, creative, and diverse the industry is this year, even though there have been tough times.
DEADLINE: What needs to happen for Germany to become more competitive in the games development space?
FALK: First, I’d like to say that we are really pleased that one week a year, everyone in the games world looks to Germany, because the rest of the year, we are weaker than we want to be when it comes to production. When it comes to revenue, we are number one in Europe with almost €10 billion per year and number five in the world. So, there is a big games market, but there still aren’t many games from Germany. We have been working with our government these last few years and have made huge steps to make Germany a more competitive games production hub.
For example, the government introduced a funding scheme in which they are giving out €120 million per year for game production. It’s a tax incentive program in which they’ve increased the budget and begun funding new companies. So, even when it was tough for the industry overall, and some studios were closing or consolidating, we had 75 companies in Germany, and startups were emerging with great new projects and games.
So, I think we are on the right track, but we haven’t been for many years, and we need fast progression to become one of the top hubs for games. It will probably be a couple of years, but of course, gamescom helps.
DEADLINE: What has changed most about what publishers and developers want from gamescom?
TIM ENDRES: They are looking for valuable platforms. We have all types of gaming in our ecosystem at gamescom. It’s something we’ve been actively developing since we started in 2009. Trying to make sure we are as inclusive as possible is challenging because we have different target groups, each with their own needs, but I think we are all the better for it. If you look at the history of gamescom, we started with 400 exhibitors and 220,000 visitors, and now each number’s doubled or tripled. And that is because our platforms work so well. What we’ve changed is our digital reach compared with the physical experience of attending gamescom. The starting point for this was 2019’s Opening Night Live. Then the pandemic hit, and we invested heavily in other digital platforms like gamescom studio, gamescom awesome indies produced by IGN, and other initiatives.
And today gamescom is hybrid, which is important for publishers and developers too, so they can have this combination of emotional experiences and meeting people face-to-face on the fairgrounds. But in addition to this, spread the word to the global audience who can not all be in Cologne on the same date.
FALK: I like the term “gamescom is a 360-degree festival.” So, it covers all the different fields of gaming culture, from business and the public to cosplay and eSports. This variety and this great festival style make it interesting for all the different parts of gaming culture and the gaming industry. This is a huge advantage for us because we can shift to the areas we need to, strengthen those areas that are developing faster, and follow the dynamic trends that come with gaming culture and the games industry.
DEADLINE: How do you keep growing gamescom without losing the intimacy and sense of community that made people fall in love with the event?
ENDRES: By having those different areas at gamescom that we spoke about and the different platforms for different communities. That is very, very important when it comes to specific needs. Take the cosplayers, for example. Of course, they love to walk through the fairgrounds and show themselves their amazing costumes and so on. But of course, they also need a place to rest or to repair their cosplays and so on. And there’s the cosplay village where they can do exactly this and be among other cosplayers and so on. And that is an approach we have across the different areas and platforms of gamescom: the Retro Area, the Indie Area, and the merchandise area, where you can buy amazing stuff and limited editions from whoever. That’s what the audience loves. And even if those platforms are growing and gamescom is growing rapidly overall, it’s still very beneficial for them because it’s tailor-made.
FALK: And you have many intimate moments at gamescom. You can see in the indie area when a fan talks to a game’s developer about how good the game is and how they can improve. You can also see all the business meetings where people talk in person, not just via video conference. You see huge shows with 5,000 people in attendance. I’m always impressed when walking around and seeing large groups of people meeting each other for the first time in the real world, outside the digital platforms they use to connect – even if they sit and talk and don’t enjoy everything that gamescom has to offer. [Laughs]. Because that personal connection is important to them.
DEADLINE: Gamescom is becoming more of a bridge between the games and entertainment industry. Are you seeing more interest from film, TV and streaming companies?
FALK: Certainly. Gaming is the heart of pop culture. You see this across different areas of non-endemic companies and non-gaming companies – especially because there is huge interest in these crossovers, since gaming is so important to pop culture right now. No matter what it is- fashion, books, films, toys, music, TV- all the different areas are heavily influenced by gaming. At gamescom, there’s always a core focus on gaming, as we aren’t a pop culture festival, but there are definitely partnerships like this.
ENDRES: One example, a little bit more concrete, is Asian pop culture and anime, manga and so on. This is something we are going to expand this year, and there will be new areas for fans of Asian pop culture in general to reflect the many games coming from Japan, Korea, China and so on. This is another great example of the tailored experience from earlier, but when it comes to cosplay or food, we are going to have an Asian garden. And that’s because we want to tailor-make something for the needs of that community.
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