Gamescom 2026 has cleared its early-bird phase with exhibitor commitments up more than 15% year-over-year, Tim Endres, director of Gamescom at Koelnmesse, told GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom Latam in São Paulo.

What does the August restructure actually change?

The Cologne event now opens on Monday, August 24 with a fully integrated Gamescom Dev, replacing the separate Devcom developer conference. Endres called the move "not just a rebranding, it's a complete integration into the Gamescom ecosystem." The Gamescom Dev main stage doubles as the venue for the political opening and the Gamescom Congress, and Gamescom Biz, the digital matchmaking platform, sits on the same floor.

For attendees, the practical upshot is one badge, one venue, no forced choice between business programming and the public showfloor.

Is Gamescom pulling attendance from GDC?

Endres was careful not to characterize the shift that way. Nordic Game separately reported a 33% jump in ticket sales over the same comparison point last year, while GDC Festival of Gaming posted a 30% drop to 20,000 visitors. Endres attributed Gamescom's trajectory to pandemic-era investment in digital platforms and a hybrid format rather than migration from any one competitor.

Why is there no UK equivalent?

Stefan Heikhaus, director of game at German trade body Game, said the answer lies in decisions taken over a decade, including the move from Leipzig to Cologne and the price and partnership strategy that followed. "You cannot start up an event like Gamescom suddenly," he said. "You have to start small."

Heikhaus added that Germany's tax-support framework was a separate but related lever. "If you want to grow a market, it's always an argument to have governmental support, and tax support is the most effective methodology," he said, framing Gamescom's 357,000-attendee footprint in 2025 as material for persuading policymakers.

Where does Latam fit?

Gamescom Latam, in its third edition, ran April 30 to May 3 in São Paulo. Endres described the LATAM region as "one of the most growing and one of the most dynamic markets," and Heikhaus positioned the show alongside mergers with the former BIG Festival and, for Gamescom Asia, the Thailand Game Show.

The Cologne edition sits at more than 1,500 exhibitors; Latam is younger and still building. Nvidia, AMD and Nintendo staffed booths at this year's show, while Sony and Microsoft did not. "In the first years, you cannot expect a Gamescom like in Cologne," Endres said. "It takes time."

What is Koelnmesse doing about the 2025 exhibitor complaints?

An open letter last year accused Gamescom Latam of imposing penalties on Brazilian developers who left their booths early. Heikhaus said the local team "managed it themselves," resolved outstanding disputes, and reshaped the program, including a curated dev area that narrowed roughly 200 applicants to 10 selected studios and zone-based placement for BIG Festival alumni titles.

What changes for indies?

Endres confirmed a six-digit euro investment in the Gamescom Awesome Indies Showcase, the partnership expanded with IGN earlier this year that adds game previews to the official indie presentation. The budget targets digital reach under the Gamescom brand, a practical response to complaints that independent visibility collapses once a Cologne booth comes down.

What's the next milestone to watch?

Koelnmesse has no current plans to add a fourth regional Gamescom in the next year; the operational focus stays on Cologne, São Paulo and the Asian edition. The first benchmark arrives August 24 in Cologne, where the merged Gamescom Dev week now serves as the entry point to the public show.