VGIM Daily is sponsored by Fifty
gamescom’s managing director tells us what to expect from a record-breaking event
Comfy shoes, decent breaks between meetings, and tips on how to drink the local beer dominate our gamescom survival guide
Matt Soeth from Thriving in Games Group joins us for our first Insider Track
Hello VGIM-ers,
Welcome to the first of this week’s VGIM Daily series, supported by our friends at Fifty.
From Monday to Friday, you’ll receive a newsletter every morning that serves up a big(ish) story or interview to sink your teeth into, some additional intriguing news or tidbits from the conference floor, and a guide to what to expect each day at the conference.
And if you’re a paid VGIM Insider, you’ll also be able to access our exclusive Insider Track audio interview at the bottom of the newsletter. Get access by becoming a paid subscriber below.
The big story: All’s well that Endres well
It’s bigger than that, Chris; it’s large: The biggest event in the video game world is about to kick off. Gamescom, the whopping consumer and trade show, will draw the better part of 400,000 people to Cologne this week to play video games, have business meetings and worry deeply about their hydration levels.
Make every second count: But what can we expect from this year’s show? And how is it somehow going from strength to strength in a tricky event market? Last week, I grabbed literally ten minutes with Tim Endres, Director of gamescom and the orchestrator of all the madness, to find out.
International appeal
Going global: Let’s start with some good news that may sound like bad news if you dislike people: gamescom is going to be busier than ever. “For the first time, the exhibition space is fully booked, so this looks pretty good,” said Endres. “Right now, we have registered more than 1,600 companies and exhibitors. So that’s a new record.” He also told me that the international presence was higher than ever before, without confirming numbers on the spot. A press release dropped into my inbox later that day told me that exhibitors are drawn from 67 countries, with a record 47 pavilions representing 40 nations on the show floor. Woof.
For the community: For Endres, gamescom’s ongoing growth is a testament to its connection to the people who make digital play happen. “Gamescom is the platform for the whole gaming ecosystem,” he said. “All types of gaming and the variety in gaming is increasing. And that’s of course why there are so many different games at gamescom. But there are also so many different communities [at the event] because gamescom is also about community and festival. It’s about esports, cosplay, merchandise and all those things. So that’s something which brings more variety to gamescom.”
Opening Night Thrive: Nevertheless, gamescom feels like something of an outlier in terms of game events. As business conferences like GDC wobble and dedicated consumer events like the UK’s EGX Expo have fallen by the wayside, gamescom – and its satellite events in South America and Asia – has rocketed upwards. Endres credits much of the event’s growth to an invaluable partnership with Geoff Keighley.
Hybrid event theory: “A really important turning point in gamescom’s history was 2019, when we launched gamescom Opening Night Live for the first time. The premiere was in 2019, and you know, in 2020 when the pandemic came around, we were able to build substantial digital platforms…very valuable digital platforms for the industry.” This hybridised the event, allowing it to reach audiences globally – adding 1.1bn views on gamescom digital content to an event footfall that makes the World Cup final feel a little small-time in comparison.
Doing it for democracy
Bigwigs ahoy: With great reach comes greater attention. Once again, gamescom’s reach to public policymakers is growing this year. The event’s dedicated congress programme, which brings together politically minded types to talk about the impact of video games on society on Thursday next week, will be opened by Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Federal President of Germany. The event is also enticing European Commission officials like Henna Virkunen, whose brief covers Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, and Axel Voss, a Member of the European Parliament, to gamescom. What’s bringing them to town?
The power of play: “There’s no better place to explore the culture and the power of gaming as at gamescom,” Endres explained. “There are more and more politicians coming each year, and that’s of course great for gamescom and great for the games industry, because they recognise the power of gaming. They recognise community, can feel the community and the positive power also in terms of things like democracy and so on.”
New attraction: Overall, Endres believes that coming to gamescom offers a “big chance” for policymakers to connect with players and the industry on their terms. And interestingly, the conference is also showing how video games can support, and even fund, democracy with the support of one of the world’s premier live-streaming events.
Games done for democracy: “It’s the first Games Done Quick Event in Europe and, yeah, we are very proud that we are the platform chosen for Games Done Quick’s first event in Europe,” he said. “That’s great because, on the one hand, you can experience it here in Cologne. But on the other hand, [you can experience it] worldwide in the streams, and the donations go directly to an initiative called Gaming for Democracy. So that’s games for good, and that is something which is really a win-win.” We’ll have more on that later this week, naturally.
No thanks, Netflix
Boom hiss: The one sour note for gamescom this year is Rockstar and Netflix’s decision to announce a Grand Theft Auto VI preview event on the Thursday night of gamescom week. I asked Endres about the decision and whether he felt flattered or frustrated over the decision to run such a prominent promotion during the show. Endres told me that he couldn’t comment on the communication strategy of other companies and that the organisation is completely focused “on our exhibitors and on our partners who have chosen to be a part of gamescom.” This includes the event’s Awesome Indies showcase in partnership with IGN, which goes live just an hour before the Netflix extravaganza. Demerits to both the streaming giant and Rockstar for a lack of industry collegiate spirit.
Optimistic note: Nevertheless, Endres and the team are projecting plenty of confidence about this year’s event. During a period of time when the Western games industry has felt under serious pressure, gamescom’s growth into the centre of the video game event world is a reminder that we can still steer the world from Europe. We have to make sure we let it in first.
A message from our sponsors, Fifty: Better gaming media starts with a better understanding of who you are trying to reach.
Fifty combines proprietary audience intelligence with specialist gaming media expertise to understand the communities behind the gamers, then turns that understanding into smarter paid-media campaigns, providing smarter strategy, planning, activation and performance.
From building pre-launch demand to driving installs and long-term growth, our media campaigns help gaming brands improve acquisition efficiency, maximise launch performance and build community.
News in brief - VGIM’s gamescom survival guide, 2026 edition
Top tips incoming: gamescom is a marathon, not a sprint. Surviving a week full of walking, meeting and networking is not easy. So with the help of the VGIM community, we’ve pulled together our top tips for making it through the next week (mostly) unscathed.
Boot up: The toppest of top tips from our readers was to make sure you have the right footwear to stride your way through Koelnmesse’s massive halls. “Wear comfy shoes, no-one is looking at your feet,” advises horror game publisher Chris White. Eurogamer’s Connor Makar concurs. “The first time I went to gamescom, I brought these flat, slightly uncomfortable shoes that absolutely killed me after day two. This year I have brought new running trainers that should get me around the show in no time.” If you’re reading this in Germany and wondering whether your shoes might be about to kill you, you’ve still got time to break in something slightly comfier.
Meeting etiquette: Speaking of speeding around the show floor, making sure that you leave enough time to meet the people you want to say hello to is crucial. “Leave at least 30 minutes between all appointments,” advises Alex Donaldson, founder and big boss of rpgsite.net and “never take an appointment on the consumer floor” to avoid being swallowed up by the crowds. Finding time between meetings is even more important if you’re heading to an external hotel for a chit-chat. “If the meeting is outside the venue (like the Dorint hotel), it takes ten-plus minutes to get there,” says game developer Dr Tomas Rawlings. If you don’t have a big buffer between meetings, try ending your scheduled meetings a little earlier than planned to buy back some travel time.
Space for serendipity: On a related time management note, Donaldson also suggests knocking work on the head at 8pm and heading out to social events because “you’ll do more important work in the vital form of networking, gossiping and catching up.” Networking parties can be a good way to connect with others, but hanging out at Heumarkt is your best bet to bump into people (especially the Brits, who congregate without irony in the Irish pub). Even the organisers of the conference advise leaving space in your diary for serendipity. “Make your plan before you come to the event, but leave time for exploring,” advises Tim Endres of the above interview fame. “There are many surprises you can have at gamescom.”
Avoid the conference food: If you’re wondering whether you should get something to eat at the conference, heed the advice we received from Anni Valkama from publisher Pantaloon. “Never buy anything inside Koelnmesse. They’ll charge you €4 for a bottle of water and nearly €20 for the saddest salad of your life.” The smart strat is to start the day with a decent breakfast, buy something for lunch on your way over to the venue, and have pre-arranged dinner plans – or a planned visit to a networking party with snacks – to make sure you’re covered throughout the day.
Local(ish) delicacies: If you want to try some authentically German scran, chow down on a pork knuckle with sauerkraut for dinner, chomp on currywurst with chips, and sip on some apfelschorle (fizzy apple juice). Or, if you’re a vegetarian despairing at the sheer amount of meat-based protein in West German cuisine, MJ Widomska, big boss of YRS TRULY recommends heading to one of the city’s underrated Vietnamese restaurants for a hefty helping of veggies. “Cologne has one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the region and some SICK Vietnamese restaurants. Don’t sleep on them,” she advised me somewhat forcefully.
Hydrate to accumulate: The other big tip for surviving the event is to make sure you’re well hydrated. “Take every single bottle of water offered; you’ll need them all,” advises Jake Tucker, Editorial Director for the PC Gaming Show. Imogen Mellor, social lead at previously mentioned YRS TRULY, advises you to push your hydration to the next level: “Take Liquid IV (or an equivalent thing) and drink one every day.” And if you’re British and fancy a cuppa, Emily Britt of Renaissance advises you to pack your own kit if you want a decent one. “Take a travel kettle, tea (Yorkshire) and mug as Germans don’t seem to put those facilities into a room as standard.” Hot drink lovers, you have been warned.
Beer enthusiasts: Our penultimate tip is to take care when enjoying Cologne’s fabulous Kölsch beer. Unlike Munich, where beer is served in massive steins and vast quantities, Kölsch is served in tiny glasses and is constantly topped up by enthusiastic waiters. This quirk led to the most advice we received on anything gamescom-related, likely because getting your Kölsches count wrong can lead to a substantial hangover the following day.
Kölsch per Hour: Some had wisdom on Kölsch consumption generally. “I don’t think you should be focusing on TKA (Total Kölsch Amount, but KPH (Kölsch per Hour),” says Funcom’s Oscar Guardiola Serra. In a similar vein, but with a slightly different outcome, Bastion’s Ravi Vijh advises that “at no point should you attempt to work out how many Kölschs you’ve had. Nothing good comes from that maths.” The only way Kölschs should be counted is through the official tallying system run by the staff. “DO NOT TOUCH THE CENTRE COASTER (that’s where waiters write down the number of glasses the table has ordered,” advises Médéric Ellul-Gravel of Trebuchet. The only acceptable use of coasters outside of giving your drink a place to rest is i) to stop Cologne’s wasp population from sneaking into your beer (hat tip to Lauren Roberts of Premier PR for that) and ii) to tell the waiter you’re done with your drinking. When that moment is depends entirely on your penchant for beer.
I wish I’d heard this earlier: Finally, the vastly experienced video game journalist and editor Kirk McKeand had a word of advice on managing your workload during gamescom. Referring to video game journalism specifically, although relevant to just about anyone juggling meetings with work, McKeand says that “it’s easy to burn yourself out when you’re running around all day and trying to post stories.” His advice was “don’t”. Hands up who wishes they’d spoken to him before they commissioned the daily series *raises hand trepidatiously*.
Today at gamescom
Before we go into what’s happening at gamescom today, let’s get a couple of important public service announcements for the week out of the way first.
There’s a lot of disruption to the trains serving Cologne this week. Three of Cologne’s light rail and tramways – Line 1, 7 and 9 – will be hit by works, with shuttle buses replacing trains. More importantly, services between Cologne and Düsseldorf – one of the main travel hubs serving the conference – are also disrupted. The RE 1 (RRX), RE 5 (RRX), RE 47, S1 and S6 are all affected by engineering works. Use gamescom’s official travel advice to negotiate the worst of the disruption.
Keep an eye on the weather this week. Usually, Cologne’s main weather hazard is the heat. This year, the forecast is teasing the possibility of rain on Tuesday and occasional thundery downpours from Wednesday to the end of the week. If you’ve not packed a light waterproof and want to stock up before the weather turns for the worse, Uniqlo is located on Schildergasse.
Turning to today, the big event is obviously gamescom dev, which kicks off at 10am in Koelnmesse’s Confex centre. The first day of the conference features a plethora of sessions about video game AI from our friends at the AI and Games Conference, a leadership summit featuring a talk from video game jobs legend Amir Satvat, and a talk about the making of MOUSE: PI. View the full schedule here.
There aren’t too many social events today because the trade area is still in set-up mode. But if you do want to head somewhere, HelpShift, AWS and Women in Games International are hosting a reception celebrating Women in the Games Industry from 6pm. Chance your arm at a last-minute registration here.
The Insider track
Our first Insider Track features a chat with Matt Soeth, Executive Director at the Thriving in Games Group.
I caught up with him at the group’s second Digital Thriving Salon to discuss the group’s work building safe, inclusive communities; why Riot Games is leading the way when it comes to setting prosocial standards; and what Thriving in Games Group’s plans are for gamescom week (and beyond).
Video Games Industry Memo is attending gamescom as part of the conference’s media ambassador programme.
Keep up with VGIM: | Linkedin | Bluesky | Email | Power Play |