Gamescom, the world’s largest and main occasion for pc and video video games, will stay in Cologne, Germany and be additional expanded.
In 2024, Gamescom counted 1,462 exhibiting firms from 64 nations – a brand new file. The occasion attracted a complete of 335,000 folks from 120 nations. This yr’s occasion will happen from August 20 to August 2024.
The deal was introduced at this time by Koelnmesse and Recreation – The German Video games Trade Affiliation. The brand new contract was signed within the presence of Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne, and Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, Worldwide Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery.
“Cologne and Gamescom are the proper match – a partnership that has confirmed to be a hit story yr after yr,” mentioned Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse, in an announcement “Collectively, we’ve got made Gamescom the world’s largest and most related video games occasion whereas constantly setting new information. The long-term contract extension is an expression of this profitable cooperation.”
Böse added, “It offers us the chance to additional increase Gamescom in Cologne along with the satellite tv for pc occasions Gamescom Asia and Gamescom Latam in addition to Devcom and Gamescom LAN – and to make it a competition for all kinds of pop cultures world wide.”
This yr, I’ll average periods with Henk Rogers, Shu Yoshida and others on the B2B occasion at Gamescom Latam, from April 30 to Might 4. Gamescom Latam is paying my option to Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Lars Janssen, chairman of the manager board of Recreation, mentioned in an announcement, “As a worldwide beacon of video games tradition, Gamescom has been setting requirements for a few years. We need to proceed this success story with Koelnmesse in Cologne. Gamescom will stay as dynamic, progressive and fast-growing because the video games market. To this finish, we’ve got agreed, amongst different issues, to additional strengthen the varied Gamescom codecs worldwide and to spend money on the model and worldwide attain. We’re grateful to have such an excellent accomplice for the long run in Koelnmesse.”
Ralf Wirsing, govt board member of Recreation, mentioned in an announcement, “Our thanks go to our accomplice Koelnmesse and likewise to town of Cologne and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, who’ve proven nice dedication to Gamescom and can make a fair higher contribution within the coming years to make sure that the guts of the video games world beats in Cologne each August with Gamescom.”
A hit story since 2009
Since its premiere in Cologne in 2009, Gamescom has developed into the world’s largest occasion for pc and video video games. Final yr, it broke information once more, underlining its central function for the worldwide video games business and its rising financial relevance for the placement.
In 2024, Gamescom round 32,000 commerce guests and it drew round 500 million viewers. As compared: on the first Gamescom in Cologne in 2009, there have been 450 exhibitors from 31 nations and 228,000 guests, together with 17,000 commerce guests.
The constant additional growth of content material and the growing digital attain are the driving elements behind Gamescom’s continued development. The quantity of people that adopted G2024 on-line additionally reached a brand new file final yr with over 500 million video views. As well as, the organizers have additional expanded Gamescom’s world presence with the satellite tv for pc occasions Gamescom Asia and Gamescom Latam
Necessary help from NRW and Cologne
A decisive consider Gamescom’s success is the shut cooperation with the Metropolis of Cologne and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. As a part of the contract extension, each events have pledged their help and prolonged funding measures for the long run. Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia have already offered vital help for Gamescom in earlier years – together with by measures to extend visibility within the metropolis and across the Gamescom metropolis competition, which brings gaming tradition to city areas.
The town and state additionally make an necessary contribution to the occasion itself, for instance by investing in codecs such because the Gamescom Congress, Europe’s main convention on the potential of video games, or the Gamescom Make investments Circle, a matchmaking occasion for buyers and video games studios.
Mayor Henriette Reker mentioned in an announcement, “Cologne is the house of Gamescom and can stay so. That is excellent news, as a result of Gamescom is a vital financial issue for our metropolis and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It strengthens the native financial system by the a whole lot of 1000’s of people that journey to Cologne from everywhere in the world yearly, creates jobs and consolidates Cologne’s function as one in every of Europe’s main business areas. However I’m positive that Gamescom can even proceed to learn from Cologne as a inventive media metropolis.”
“Gamescom is making a long-term dedication to Cologne. It is a particular distinction for Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia as a video games location,” mentioned Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, Worldwide Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery, who’s liable for video games, in an announcement. “The state is a robust accomplice behind Gamescom – a global flagship, economically, culturally and technologically.”
He added, “I wish to thank Koelnmesse and the video games affiliation for his or her complete dedication right here on the venue and for the great cooperation. The state authorities will proceed to offer Gamescom with intensive help sooner or later to increase its particular place because the world’s largest occasion for video video games. Collectively, we’re setting the tone for video games as a driver of innovation and a cultural issue. We need to assist form the megatrend of gamification worldwide from Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia.”
