gamescom 2026 ended on August 30 with 368,000 visitors and 1,743 exhibitors, the most in the show's history. For the first time, the entire show floor in Cologne was sold out.
How 2026 compares to past years
This year's visitor count is about 11,000 higher than in 2025, but it still falls short of the 2019 record of 373,000. The number of exhibitors grew faster, and most of the companies came from outside Germany.
gamescom 2020 and 2021 took place online only, so there are no on-site numbers for those years, because of the Coronavirus
Indie games at the Indie Arena Booth
Nearly 200 games from studios in 41 countries were playable at the Indie Arena Booth this year. Organizer Super Crowd calls its area the largest shared indie booth in the world.
Most studios there share space. Smaller teams can rent a booth with a single monitor or get a free spot at a shared Nintendo Switch booth, and a jury of 100 industry experts picks the line-up from all submissions. Partners such as Catalonia, Flanders, several German states and Germany's Federal Agency for Civic Education also offered free spots.
The best part, at least for me, is that the person handing you the controller is often one of the developers. You can ask why a mechanic works the way it does and hear the answer from someone who built it.
gamescom's own Awesome Indies Show also grew online, to more than 302,000 views. Organizers say that is an increase of more than 670% over last year.
Theft reports and security
Several exhibitors reported equipment stolen from their stands overnight, according to Niche Gamer. gamescom acknowledged the incidents and said the affected exhibitors had contacted security and the police.
In its response, the show pointed out that companies can book dedicated stand security and are advised to insure their equipment against theft. Some exhibitors and attendees criticized that answer because they had expected the venue's general security to protect their stands.
Dates for gamescom 2027
gamescom week 2027 runs from August 23 to 29, with gamescom dev on August 23 and 24.
Opening Night Live moves one day earlier on the calendar, from August 25 this year to the evening of August 24.
