Gamescom 2026 attendance rose 6% to 368,000 visitors

Gamescom 2026 drew 368,000 visitors from 131 countries, marking a 6% increase compared to the prior year. Exhibitions saw an 11% rise, with 1,743 companies from 66 countries participating, up from 1,544 the previous year. International exhibitors comprised 72% of the attendees, featuring 48 country pavilions representing 41 countries.

Brazil, Canada, and the United States experienced the most significant growth. Over 36,000 trade visitors attended, half of them from outside Germany. Gamescom Dev attendance expanded by 15% to 6,200 visitors. The conference, held before Gamescom, included 397 speakers, 238 sessions, and 18 stages. Over 2,500 companies from 95 countries participated in Gamescom Dev, along with 57 partners and exhibitors from its indie expo.

GamesIndustry.biz interviewed Gamescom Dev managing director Frederik Hammes about the survey's findings, which highlighted smaller studios as the primary growth opportunity in the games market. Gamescom's digital content garnered more than 624 million global views by Saturday evening, with 78 million for Opening Night Live. The Gamescom Awesome Indies Show drew over 302,000 viewers, representing a 670% growth.

Digital community adventure Gamescom Epix collected 6.2 million page views, a 9% increase from the previous year. German Games Industry Association managing director Felix Falk emphasized that Gamescom had established itself as the central platform for the international games industry, surpassing many record figures, especially in international participation and exhibitors.

Koelnmesse President and CEO Gerald Böse praised Gamescom for bringing together people from around the world, highlighting the event's economic and social significance. Gamescom 2027 is scheduled for August 25-29, with Gamescom Dev taking place on August 23-24.