Every August, Cologne transforms into the capital of the gaming world. gamescom, the world’s largest event for computer and video games, returns to Koelnmesse from Aug. 26 to 30, 2026, kicking off with gamescom Opening Night Live on Aug. 25. This year’s edition is a landmark one: for the first time in the show’s history, exhibition space is completely sold out, with major companies including Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom and CD PROJEKT RED confirmed.
The legendary charity speedrunning event Games Done Quick is also making its European debut. It follows a record-breaking 2025 that welcomed more than 1,500 exhibitors. From world premieres on the Opening Night Live stage to hands-on demos across the show floor, gamescom remains the one week when the entire industry and millions of fans come together.
At the helm are Tim Endres, director of gamescom at Koelnmesse and part of the show since before its 2009 debut, and Stefan Heikhaus, director of gamescom and events at game, the German Games Industry Association. Ahead of this week’s opening, we sat down with both to discuss sold-out halls, publisher showcases, indie visibility and why Cologne remains the beating heart of gamescom. With this year’s show set to be one of the biggest yet, it is hard to deny the passion that helped make it a reality.
What are the biggest changes attendees will notice when they arrive at gamescom 2026?
Tim Endres: Changes at gamescom really come in all sizes. One of the biggest changes probably is the addition of gamescom GDQ to the programming. Bringing the famous charity-speedrun event Games Done Quick to Europe for the first time is truly something unique, and the schedule for Friday to Sunday is very promising – we can only recommend everyone to look at it.
Additionally, a few weeks ago, we were able to announce that the exhibition space for gamescom 2026 is fully booked up. That is something that has never happened before. Of course, we are already working on plans for how the event can grow in 2027, but for this year, fans can expect a huge variety of booths and games that will catch their attention. We cannot wait for everyone to see it all.
It is hard to really lay out all the changes we made to the event, especially since we are also improving on details to ensure the gamescom community will have the best possible time at each of our events.
When planning this year’s show, what lessons did you take from gamescom 2025?
Stefan Heikhaus: Every year, we look very closely at the latest edition of gamescom and analyze the feedback we receive. While gamescom 2025 was our biggest and most international edition to date in regard to our exhibitor participation, the important question for us after the event was where we could improve the experience and make it smoother.
Some of the examples are tiny details that are hard to spot at first glance. For example: To improve the overall quality-of-stay we brought free water stations to the event ground. To make the event more accessible we expanded our accessibility guide and self-commitment for exhibitors. To name an example, that resulted in making it mandatory for exhibitors to show the accessibility offerings at the stand.
gamescom welcomed more than 1,500 exhibitors in 2025. Are you expecting to exceed that number in 2026, and how do you continue growing without making the event feel overcrowded?
Tim Endres: For the first time, the exhibition space is fully booked, which is a strong signal for the relevance of gamescom to the global games industry. What that will mean for the final number of exhibitors will be shared after the event’s conclusion. At the same time, growth is not the goal in itself. What matters is how that growth works on-site — for fans, exhibitors, trade visitors, media and creators. More exhibitors and more content only create value if people can still move around comfortably, find what they are looking for and enjoy the event.
That is why we focus very closely on hall planning, visitor flow, clear signage, staffed guidance and digital orientation tools. Our goal is to offer more variety and more opportunities, while keeping the quality of stay at the center. That is also the reason why we continue to improve our digital formats and invest in them – because there are so many people, we can reach with it and so many people we can involve with our event. Even if they cannot travel to Cologne.
Major publishers increasingly host their own digital showcases throughout the year. How has that changed the role gamescom plays in the announcement calendar?
Stefan Heikhaus: Publisher showcases are now a normal and important part of the industry. We do not see that as a contradiction to gamescom. In many ways, those digital moments build excitement throughout the year, and gamescom is where that excitement can come together physically and digitally on a very large scale.
What sets gamescom apart is that it is more than a stream or a single announcement window. It is a full week where the global community on a fan and a business level, comes together. The event creates a shared moment where games are not only revealed, but experienced, discussed and amplified across all channels, both on-site and digitally.
What are you doing to make gamescom Opening Night Live feel connected to the games people can actually play and experience on the show floor?
Tim Endres: I believe that this happens very naturally. On Tuesday night, we see world premieres and major updates; from Wednesday on, many of those games can be played or experienced directly on the show floor. It is that very intrinsic excitement that builds the connection for oneself.
Because who would not want to have the chance to see and learn more about – let’s say – the Witcher 3 DLC after seeing it at gamescom Opening Night Live. One might think that this is limited to the on-site audience – but with our gamescom studio for example there is always more to learn and more to see. So, no matter if in person or on-screen, the excitement extends throughout the week – because that is just how gamescom is.
What does a physical event like gamescom offer publishers and players that cannot be recreated through a livestream or digital presentation?
Stefan Heikhaus: A livestream can reach millions of people, and that is incredibly important. But it cannot replace the feeling of being in the halls, meeting old friends or building new friendships in the community, playing a not-yet-released game for the first time or meeting the people behind it in person. For publishers and developers, the same is true.
You can see real reactions to a demo, talk to media and content creators face to face, and sometimes a spontaneous conversation becomes the beginning of a partnership. That is why the hybrid model works so well for gamescom: digital formats extend the reach and let people around the whole world experience gamescom, and the physical event creates emotion and human connection.
How do you balance the need for major blockbuster games with giving independent developers enough visibility to be discovered?
Stefan Heikhaus: For us, it is not an either-or-question. AAA games create huge excitement and reach, while indie games bring a different form of creativity, diversity and ideas to the show floor. Both are essential to gamescom. That is why we provide major publishers with space for large hands-on showcases while investing in indie visibility.
In 2026, we will produce the gamescom awesome indies show together with IGN to give indie games even stronger international exposure. Indie studios also benefit from formats and platforms such as the indie area, gamescom biz, the gamescom steam event and the gamescom invest circle.
gamescom serves consumers, developers, publishers, media and business leaders at the same time. How difficult is it to meet the needs of all those groups within one event?
Tim Endres: It is complex, but it is also one of the main reasons gamescom works so well. We intentionally design gamescom as a platform for the entire gaming ecosystem. Public visitors have the entertainment area, indie area, retro & family area, cards & boards area, cosplay village, artist area, social stage and many more. At the same time, professionals, media and content creators have dedicated areas and formats such as the business area, gamescom creator co-working space, gamescom invest circle, gamescom congress and gamescom biz.
Not to mention gamescom dev, which built itself a reputation throughout the years and became Europe’s largest event for games industry professionals with its own dedicated programming that gets more impressive every year. The mix of business, community and culture is what makes the whole gamescom week unique. And to be very honest, the only way to bring such a complex event to life is by working with an incredible team that tackles every challenge with ease and coordinates through the complexity.
As gamescom becomes more global, how do you preserve its connection to Cologne and ensure the city remains an important part of the event’s identity?
Tim Endres: The more global gamescom becomes, the more important Cologne remains. During gamescom week, that special connection becomes visible across the city. The event extends beyond the exhibition halls and becomes part of Cologne’s urban life. The most prominent part of it is the gamescom city festival, where the city itself transforms into a massive festival with music acts that help us bring the festival aspect we have at day on our event floor to the city streets of Cologne by night.
But that is not all: coordinated public transport, cultural activities, local hospitality and the presence of gamescom in public spaces. Our international editions bring the gamescom spirit to different markets throughout the year, but Cologne remains the original home of gamescom.
