Gamescom is a well-known name among gamers, for many reasons. Not only is it the largest gaming convention in the world, but it has expanded in so many ways that anyone can legitimately participate. Gamescom 2024 may have come and gone, but not without a first look Borderlands 4, Mafia: The Old CountryAnd, and many, many more games coming out in the coming months and years. Before the event, a representative from Game (the brand owner and co-organizer of Gamescom), Felix Falk, told us that “Gamescom is the sign of better times,” and while that remains to be seen, it sure felt like that when We left the convention center.
Gamescom 2024 was expected to break records, and it did. It’s an impressive feat in itself, but it’s even more impressive considering the era of Gamescom and how the convention center has always set a new standard. Combine this with its continued, but well-regulated growth over the years, and it wasn’t just an impressive Gamescom in 2024, it’s been an impressive road to 2024.
The first Gamescom began in 2009, and while its premiere was obviously smaller than its current setup, it was nothing to scoff at. The idea of Gamescom, the community around it, and all that was more than enough to show that this was something special. Gamescom debuted with an incredible attendance of 245,000 guests, including 17,000 professional visitors and 228,000 consumers. This immediately made Gamescom the largest gaming convention in the world, a name that had yet to prove itself in an incredibly competitive industry. In numbers, Gamescom 2009 had an incredible debut.
Gamescom 2009 in numbers
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458 exhibitors from 31 countries
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This includes but is not limited to Microsoft, Sony, 2K Games, EA, Capcom, Square Enix, Ubisoft and many, many more.
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120,000 square meters.
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The Gamescom festival had 100,000 guests
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The Gamescom Congress, focused on youth protection and media learning, had 30 exhibitors
Numbers can be cold, calculating and reductionist, but not in this case. At the center of all this was the celebration of video games, with Gamescom 2009 and the various conferences held in association that revealed big news in the games industry, such as the PS3 Slim and the release date of Fable 3. Games like Starcraft 2 – Wings of Liberty, Uncharted 2, Zelda: Spirit Tracksand modern warfare 2 take home new praise.
In 2009, Gamescom was in full swing and not slowing down.
Ten years later, Gamescom would hold the biggest show in its history. No one understood at the time that the COVID pandemic was just a few months away, forcing Gamescom 2020 and Gamescom 2021 to be digital/hybrid events. 2019 saw the debut of Opening Night Live, hosted by Geoff Keighley, which has become synonymous with world premieres. However, it fits so perfectly with Gamescom that you’d think Opening Night Live has been around for so long.
In this ten-year period, attendance figures increased from 245,000 in 2009 to 373,000 in 2019. While this remains the record to this day, it’s worth mentioning that it’s not one Game is necessarily interested in breaking. There are only so many people who can comfortably fit into the Koelnmesse convention center and more ways than ever to participate digitally at the trade fair. Still, Gamescom’s growth is incredibly well maintained by Game, which is notable in an industry driven and sometimes destroyed by the need for growth.
Gamescom 2019 in numbers
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373,000 visitors, which represents a growth of 52.25% since 2009.
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In 2009, 17,000 professional visitors were registered and in 2019, 31,000.
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1,153 exhibitors, which represents a growth of 151.75% since 2009.
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In 2019, Gamescom was held on 218,000 square meters compared to 120,000 in 2009.
The Gamescom awards saw games like Dreams, Borderlands 3, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, Gears 5, Link’s Awakening, DOOM Eternal, Wasteland 3, Concrete Genieand more, they take home praise. Just like years before, big news broke and everyone could feel the electricity in the air, the same electricity that drives the gaming industry.
While the COVID-19 pandemic caused Gamescom to go digital and surely could have shut down the convention entirely, it didn’t. Gamescom bounced back stronger than ever when it returned to a physical exhibition in 2022, and this year’s event still managed to break records.
Even before the show began, Gamescom broke records this year with more than 1,400 exhibitors (about 1,000 more than its debut in 2009) and a total of 48 pavilions from 37 countries (an increase from 33 pavilions and 26 countries in 2023). Total attendance at Gamescom was 335,000 people, with 32,000 professional visitors as well. No one doubts the strength of Gamescom and these numbers simply reinforce what everyone has known since 2009: Gamescom is special.
But Gamescom is now much more than just a trade show and Opening Night Live Showcase. Over the years, Gamescom has created several programs that have remained strong throughout, while expanding their brand identity. Gamescom now not only represents a trade fair in Cologne, Germany; also represents a trade show in Sao Paulo, Brazil (in association with BIG Festival) and Singapore for Asia. While it’s not confirmed, it seems like a safe assumption that more Gamescom trade shows will pop up around the world in the coming years.
Gamescom Opening Night Live had more than 40 million views, double the number in 2023. Devcom, Gamescom’s developer-oriented partner program, broke records for attendance (5,000), session (210), and number of speakers (350). The Gamescom Congress touched on ideas from “Games and AI” and “Games and Democracy”, Gamescom Cares continues to walk the talk rather than just talk, and Gamescom Epix was as engaging as ever. No matter how someone committed to Gamescom, it’s clear that Gamescom committed again. And of course, many games ended with new records.
Gamescom Awards
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Best Images: Little Nightmare 3
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Best Audio: Little Nightmares 3
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Best Gameplay: Frostpunk 2
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Most entertaining: Monster Hunter Wilds
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Most Epic: Monster Hunter Wilds
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Healthier: tavern talk
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Impact Games: Creatures of Ava
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Best Xbox game: Little Nightmares 3
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Best PC Game: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
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Best PlayStation game: Monster Hunter Wilds
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Best Mobile Game: Genshin Impact
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Best Trailer: Monster Hunter Wilds
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Best of the show floor: Microsoft/Bethesda/Blizzard
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Heart of Gaming Award: Games protect democracy
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Gamescom Sustainability Award: Tencent
And that’s really just the tip of the iceberg.
It’s impossible to predict the future, but if Gamescom is truly “a sign for better times,” then you need to prepare for those better times. 2023 was an incredible year for the industry, with high-profile launches like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Tears of the Kingdomand 2025 is shaping up to be the same. 2025 will see the releases of games like Civilization 7, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Borderlands 4, Death Stranding 2, Directive 8020, Doom: The Dark Ages, Fable, The First Berserker: Khazan, FragPunk, Little Nightmares 3, Mafia: The Old Country, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Monster Hunter Wilds, Pokémon Legends: ZAand many others. But it is also worth highlighting on its own the launch of grand theft car 6its predecessor being the highest-grossing entertainment product of all time, without exaggeration.
Many of these games appeared at Gamescom 2024, but they will undoubtedly also have a strong presence throughout 2025. That’s not counting new announcements or surprises, and at the very least, it looks like 2025 will be a big year for video game releases. Gamescom will also be there and involved, ensuring the community and industry are as connected as ever.