Gamescom, the world’s largest gaming event, will continue to grow its international presence while maintaining its traditional headquarters in Cologne, Germany. A new agreement between the city administration and the organizers recently confirmed this decision after the highly successful 2024 event that drew impressive attendance numbers.
The 2024 festival welcomed 1,462 exhibiting companies from 64 countries and hosted 335,000 attendees from 120 countries.
According to a press release from Koelnmesse and Game – The German Games Industry Association, plans are underway to expand the event globally through Gamescom Asia and Gamescom LATAM, alongside existing initiatives like Devcom and Gamescom LAN. The organizers aim to transform Gamescom into “a festival for a wide variety of pop cultures around the world.”
The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia has promised to provide “intensive support” to help maintain Gamescom’s status as the world’s largest video games event. This commitment was formalized in a contract signing attended by Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker and Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. During this ceremony, Cologne and Gamescom were described as the “perfect match.”
The Latin American version of Gamescom is coming up next, scheduled to take place in São Paulo, Brazil, from April 30 to May 4. This regional event partners with the BIG Festival, Latin America’s largest gaming showcase. Gaming industry veteran Shuhei Yoshida has been confirmed as a speaker.
Gamescom LATAM has already announced the finalists for the 2025 BIG Festival competition. From a record-breaking 962 game submissions from 71 countries, 90 titles have been selected as finalists to compete for 17 different awards. Notable finalists include “The Plucky Square” by All Possible Futures (Australia), “Animal Well” by Shared Memory (United Kingdom), and “Nine Sols” by Red Candle Games (Taiwan).
Despite being 15 years old in an industry that constantly chases the “next big thing,” Gamescom has maintained its relevance and influence. The event’s continued success and expansion plans demonstrate its importance to the global gaming community and industry professionals alike.
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