This article was originally published on August 1, 2025 - read the full issue here

By Patrick Garratt

The global game industry is about to head to Cologne for the 2025 edition of Gamescom, the world's largest game event, which takes place from August 20-24.

Despite the 2024 show hosting more than 300,000 consumers, Gamescom is as much for professional visitors as it is for players. The Koelnmesse event's first day is exclusive to trade attendees and press, and the entire week is becoming increasingly important to industry networking.

"After the pandemic, we were happy to welcome 25,000 trade visitors back to Cologne," Gamescom director Tim Endres tells Knowledge.

"That number increased to 31,000 in 2023 and 32,000 in 2024. In the past years, about 50 per cent of those people came from abroad. Last year we saw the biggest growth in people coming from North America and Japan."

As the number of business visitors to Gamescom increases, Endres and his team have ensured that the platforms, services and physical facilities available to them conform to their needs.

"The business area remains the central hub for B2B networking," says Endres. "It offers a professional environment where developers, publishers or trade visitors in general can connect face-to-face.

"To support this, our digital platform, Gamescom Biz, serves as a matchmaking and networking tool, allowing professionals to set up meetings, track contacts, and initiate new partnerships. Over 40,000 industry professionals are using the platform."

The Gamescom Biz app has been a great success for the Gamescom organisation team.

"With 42,000 new contacts made via our Gamescom Biz app in 2024, a number that is growing with each year, we see the importance of our networking platform," says Endres. "Our data shows that, statistically, every contact involves the exchange of multiple messages… All the data we have underlines the importance and increasing value Gamescom Biz brings to trade visitors and exhibitors alike."

Extreme exposure

Developers, and especially indies, are a key focus on Gamescom's trade offering. Endres has specifically targeted areas that affect smaller teams, with visibility being a priority.

"For discoverability, we provide developers – especially indie teams – with access to formats like Gamescom Awesome Indies, which not only stream to global audiences but are also supported by partnerships with major platforms such as Steam. Other shows that enhance visibility are Gamescom Opening Night Live or the Gamescom Studio."

Aside from native projects, efficient systems for attracting press and influencers to the show are obviously critical for ensuring games access publicity.

"We create the right conditions for opinion makers such as journalists and content creators to visit Gamescom," says Endres. "Their coverage additionally secures studios visibility among fans worldwide."

Devcom, the major developer event with 210 talks and 350 speakers that takes place in the days before Gamescom, serves as the platform for discussing developer and publisher issues such as monetisation, licensing, live service models and regional distribution. All told, the combination of Gamescom and Devcom represents a powerful package for trade visitors that makes this August week in Cologne unmissable.

What started life as Games Convention in Leipzig in 2002 has grown into a global monster for both consumers and trade, and there's no sign of Gamescom's ascension slowing. For trade visitors, Gamescom will remain an indelible date on the industry calendar.

"Looking ahead, we see Gamescom continuing to evolve as a hybrid platform that seamlessly bridges physical presence with global digital access," says Endres.

"The future lies in flexibility: offering scalable formats for networking, business development and content delivery that meet the changing needs of both triple-A publishers and emerging studios."

Flexibility remains key, Endres says, as Gamescom expands for the trade.

"We evaluate all feedback we receive annually and improve certain aspects of the event. As Gamescom is an event that is organised by both Koelnmesse and the German Games Industry Association, we not only have access to feedback from on-site visitors but are also in close contact with exhibiting publishers and studios, who actively help us shape Gamescom.

"Only in this way can we create true value for all target groups, as well as organic growth for us as an event and for the industry in general. So, it's hard to say how Gamescom will change to meet the needs of the industry five years from now. But we will make sure to be there and listen."

This article was originally published on August 1, 2025 - read the full issue here