Gamescom is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany. Gamescom is the world's largest gaming event, with 370,000 visitors and 1,037 exhibitors from 56 countries attending the event in 2018. The event is used by many video game developers to exhibit upcoming games and game-related hardware. The "gamescom - Opening Night Live" (ONL) show takes place every year on the evening before the opening. The show presents the latest trailers and announcements from the international games industry and is hosted by Geoff Keighley.
Alongside the public areas, there is also a closed area for professional visitors, such as publishers, journalists and developers.
Shortly before Gamescom, the associated conference Devcom takes place at the same area and is specifically for the game development sector.
History The Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software had previously hosted the Games Convention in Leipzig from 2002 to 2008, which was briefly the largest games trade show in the world. However, Leipzig was becoming unsuitable for such a large event owing to limited transport links and hotel accommodation. The BIU and Koelnmesse announced a new event circuit in 2008, to be held in Cologne beginning in 2009. The Leipzig Trade Fair opposed the move and intended to continue Games Convention without the BIU, which led to a five-month "standoff" between the two groups. As Leipzig did not allow the Cologne event to be called "Games Convention", the BIU instead adopted "GamesCom". The two events were due to take part on the same weekend, and were each competing to be seen as the "authoritative" German trade fair for the industry. In the end, after a deal between Gamescom and GDC, Leipzig announced that Games Convention would be cancelled, and replaced by an online only event that focused on mobile and casual gaming. Gamescom was first held in August 2009, and was extremely successful, while Games Convention Online was discontinued after 2010.
The BIU continued to support and administer the event until 2018, when it merged with the industry body GAME. Their successor organisation the game – The German Games Industry Association has continued in the same role. Geoff Keighley began hosting Opening Night Live from 2019, a streamed event at the beginning of the show. Opening Night Live has served as a platform for many trailer launches and game announcements.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the discontinuation of E3, Gamescom has been the largest event of its kind. Gamescom Latam, first held in Brazil in 2024, is also the largest event in the Americas.
Areas The following exhibition areas are located on the site: • entertainment area • event arena • merchandise area • indie area • cosplay village • retro & family area • artist area • cards & boards area • signing area • campus area • business area
Events 2009
Gamescom 2009 was held 19–23 August. 245,000 people attended that year's visit.
Exhibitors 2009 exhibitors2K Games Mafia II (360, PC, PS3) BioShock 2 (360, PC, PS3) Activision Diablo III (PC, 360, PS3) DJ Hero (360, PS2, PS3, Wii) Guitar Hero 5 (360, PS2, PS3, Wii) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (360, PC, PS3) StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC) Tony Hawk: Ride (360, PS3, Wii)
Atari Star Trek Online (PC)
Capcom Dark Void (360, PC, PS3) Lost Planet 2 (360, PC, PS3) Monster Hunter Tri (Wii) Spyborgs (Wii)
Electronic Arts Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (360, PC, PS3) Crysis 3 (360, PC, PS3) Dante's Inferno (360, PS3, PSP) Dragon Age: Origins (360, PC, PS3) FIFA 10 (360, DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii) Mass Effect 2 (360, PC) Need for Speed: Shift (360, PC, PS3, PSP) Spore Hero (Wii) Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC) The Sims 3: World Adventures (PC)
Konami Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (360, PC, PS3) Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP) Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (360, DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii) Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (PS2, PSP, Wii)Microsoft Fable III (360, PC) Forza Motorsport 3 (360) Halo 3: ODST (360) Kinect (360)
Namco Bandai Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (360, PS3) Katamari Forever (PS3) Tekken 6 (360, PS3, PSP)
Sega Aliens vs. Predator (360, PC, PS3) Napoleon: Total War (PC)
Sony God of War III (PS3) Gran Turismo (PSP) Gran Turismo 5 (PS3) Heavy Rain (PS3) LittleBigPlanet (PSP) MAG (PS3) ModNation Racers (PS3, PSP) Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3) Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) White Knight Chronicles (PS3)
Square Enix Final Fantasy XIII (360, PC, PS3) Final Fantasy XIV (PC) Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS) Supreme Commander 2 (360, PC)
Ubisoft Assassin's Creed II (360, PC, PS3) Avatar: The Game (360, DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii) R.U.S.E. (360, PC, PS3) Rabbids Go Home (DS, PC, Wii) Red Steel 2 (Wii) Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction (360, PC)
Notable press conferences Wednesday, 18 August: Electronic Arts Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Thursday, 19 August: Microsoft Game Studios Konami Namco Bandai Games
Notable announcements Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced the PlayStation 3 Slim, a smaller and lighter model of the console and a release date of 1 September 2009. Firmware 3.0 for the PlayStation 3 was also announced, adding new features to the PlayStation Network. Sony announced that the European Video Store would launch in November 2009. Sony also announced that the PlayStation Portable would get smaller games (under 100mb) in the form of 'minis' and that comics would also be available to download in December 2009. A "free game" registration promotion was announced for the PSP Go.
Microsoft Game Studios announced Fable III, along with a release date of 2010. Also, Microsoft announced their intention to release Fable II on the Xbox Live Marketplace in five episodes, the first of which would be free to download.
Media coverage While most press conferences were not available for live streaming, Electronic Arts streamed its press conference on EA.com. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe also showcased its press conference on its online community-based service PlayStation Home shortly afterwards. Sony also made its press conference available for download on the PlayStation Store. Various gaming websites offered live-blogging of the respective press conferences.
2010
Gamescom 2010 was held 18–22 August. 254,000 people attended that year's visit.
Exhibitors 2010 exhibitors2K Games BioShock Infinite (360, PS3, PC) Civilization V (PC) Mafia II (360, PS3, PC) NBA 2K11 (360, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii)
Activision Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, DS, PC, PS3, Wii) Diablo III (360, PC, PS3) DJ Hero 2 (360, PS3, Wii) GoldenEye 007 (DS, Wii) Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (360, PS3, Wii) Tony Hawk: Shred (360, PS3, Wii) World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC)
ArenaNet Guild Wars 2 (PC)
Capcom Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (DS) Ōkamiden (DS) Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (360, PS3) Street Fighter X Tekken (360, PS3)
Codemasters F1 2010 (360, PS3)
Disney Interactive Studios Epic Mickey (Wii)
Electronic Arts Crysis 2 (360, PS3, PC) Darkspore (PC) Dead Space 2 (360, PS3, PC) Dragon Age II (360, PS3, PC) EA Sports Active 2: Personal Trainer (360, PS3, Wii) FIFA 11 (360, DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii) Mass Effect 2 (PS3) Medal of Honor (360, PC, PS3) Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (360, PC, PS3, Wii) Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)
Konami Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (360, PC, PS3) Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 (360, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii)
Microsoft Fable III (360, PC) Halo: Reach (360) Kinect (360) Windows Phone 7MTV Games Rock Band 3 (360, DS, PS3, Wii)
Namco Bandai Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 (360, PS3) Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 (360, PS3) Tekken X Street Fighter (360, PS3)
Neowiz Crossfire (PC)
Nintendo Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii) Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) Metroid: Other M (Wii)
RedSpotGames Rush Rush Rally Racing (DC, Wii) Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles (DC, PC) Solar Struggle Move support (360)
Sega Virtua Tennis 4 (360, PC, PS3, Vita, Wii)
Sony Gran Turismo 5 (PS3) Heavy Rain move support (PS3) Infamous 2 (PS3) Killzone 3 (PS3) LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3) MAG Move support (PS3) Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PS3) Resistance 3 (PS3)
Square Enix Deus Ex: Human Revolution (360, PC, PS3) Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (PSP) The 3rd Birthday (PSP)
Ubisoft Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (360, PS3, PC) Driver: San Francisco (360, PC, PS3, Wii) Just Dance 2 (Wii) Michael Jackson: The Experience (360, DS, PS3, PSP, Wii) Might and Magic: Heroes VI (PC) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (360, PC, PS3)
Valve Portal 2 (360, PC, PS3)
Notable announcements The two main announcements this Gamescom came from Insomniac Games, who announced two sequels from two of their franchises: Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, by revealing some gameplay from the game, and Resistance 3, via a live action teaser trailer. These games will be exclusive to the PlayStation 3. All 4 One has a set release date as late 2011, while Resistance 3 did not have a release date.
2011
Gamescom 2011 was held 17–21 August. 275,000 people attended that year's visit.
Exhibitors 2011 exhibitors1C Company Men of War: Assault Squad (PC) Men of War: Vietnam (PC) Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad (PC) Royal Quest (PC)
2K Games Borderlands 2 (360, PC, PS3)
Activision Call of Duty: Elite Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PC, PS3, Wii) Diablo III (360, PC, PS3) GoldenEye 007: Reloaded (360, PS3) Prototype 2 (360, PC, PS3) Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (360, 3DS, PC, PS3, Wii) Spider-Man: Edge of Time (360, 3DS, DS, PS3, Wii) StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (PC) World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC) X-Men: Destiny (360, DS, PS3, Wii)
Bethesda Softworks Dishonored (360, PC, PS3) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PC, PS3) Prey 2 (360, PC, PS3) Rage (360, PC, PS3)
Bohemia Interactive ARMA 3 (PC) Carrier Command: Gaea Mission (360, PC) Take On Helicopters (PC)
Capcom Asura's Wrath (360, PS3) DmC: Devil May Cry (360, PC, PS3) Dragon's Dogma (360, PS3) Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS) Street Fighter X Tekken (360, PC, PS3) Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (360, PS3, Vita)
CD Projekt Red The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (360, PC)
City Interactive Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 (360, PC, PS3)
Codemasters F1 2011 (360, 3DS, PC, PS3, Vita)
Deep Silver Risen 2: Dark Waters (360, PC, PS3)
dtp Entertainment The Cursed Crusade (360, PC, PS3) IHF Handball Challenge 12 (PC)
Electronic Arts Battlefield 3 (360, PC, PS3) Burnout Crash! (360, PS3) FIFA 12 (360, 3DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Vita, Wii) FIFA Manager 12 (PC) FIFA Superstars (PC) Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (360, PC, PS3) Mass Effect 3 (360, PC, PS3, Wii U) Need for Speed: The Run (360, 3DS, PC, PS3, Wii) Need for Speed: World (PC) The Secret World (PC) The Sims 3: Pets (360, 3DS, PC, PS3) The Sims Social (PC) SSX (360, PS3) Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC) Theme Park (DS) Frogster Runes of Magic (PC)
Funcom The Secret World (PC)
Gamigo Jagged Alliance Online (PC)
Hi-Rez Studios Tribes: Ascend (PC)
Kalypso Media Airline Tycoon 2 (PC) The Dark Eye: Demonicon (PC) Dungeons (PC) Patrician Online (PC) Tropico 4 (360, PC)
Konami Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D (3DS) Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 (360, 3DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii) Silent Hill: Downpour (360, PS3)
Microsoft Dance Central 2 (360) Forza Motorsport 4 (360) The Gunstringer (360) Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (360) Kinect Sports: Season Two (360) Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor (360)
Mojang Minecraft (PC)Namco Bandai Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (360, PS3) Armored Core V (360, PS3) Dark Souls (360, PS3) Go Vacation (Wii) Inversion (360, PC, PS3) Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations (360, PS3) Ridge Racer Unbounded (360, PC, PS3) Soulcalibur V (360, PS3)