- ‘Games Spark Excitement for the Future’ is the main theme of gamescom 2026
- ‘Saving the world through play’ and ‘Small teams, huge success’ are this year’s trends
- A host of leading politicians have confirmed their attendance at gamescom
- gamescom 2026 takes place from 24 to 30 August 2026 in Cologne and online
Berlin/Cologne, 21 July 2026 – When gamescom week kicks off on 24 August 2026, one theme will take centre stage: the future. Across the halls and stages, at the developer conference gamescom dev, in the business area and at the spectacular opening show gamescom Opening Night Live, the focus is on the video games and developments set to shape our tomorrow and beyond in positive ways. At a time of uncertainty and upheaval in many areas of life, games remain firmly focused on new start-ups, technological innovation, fresh partnerships and, of course, the video games arriving in the coming months and years. The future takes centre stage. In this sense, gamescom mirrors games culture and its uniquely positive, forward-looking outlook. With this year’s main theme ‘Games Spark Excitement for the Future’, gamescom 2026 embraces this strong future-oriented mindset. The organisers of the world’s biggest games event – game – The German Games Industry Association and Koelnmesse – announced the theme today at a press conference.
‘The main theme at this year gamescom is ‘Games Spark Excitement for the Future.’ The community, the studios, the whole industry – we are all looking ahead. gamescom is of course about the games of tomorrow – but it is equally about the unstoppable drive to found companies, about innovation and about the excitement generated by the very latest technologies. The core question in all cases is ‘How do I reach the next level?’ In these times, I think this kind of excitement for the future is exactly what we need’, says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game.
gamescom trend ‘Saving the world through play’
The games community is exceptionally passionate and committed. That shows not only in the games themselves, but far beyond them. Speedrunning and creator streams in which video game players donate sums running into the millions for good causes – from the fight against cancer to support for democracy – are just one example. Petitions and even demonstrations staged within games are further signs of this strong commitment. The gamescom trend ‘Saving the world through play’ shines a light on this power of the community, which is often still underestimated, and which makes an important contribution in the face of the many social challenges of our time.
gamescom trend ‘Small teams, huge success’
Games are among the biggest and most elaborate forms of entertainment of our time. Major blockbusters cost several hundred million euros, reach millions of players worldwide and generate huge revenues. What often goes unnoticed is that small indie games are increasingly enjoying enormous success around the world too. It has never been easier for creative minds and teams to turn their ideas into reality, develop high-quality games and reach communities everywhere. These improved opportunities allow even small teams to celebrate major successes and win awards worldwide. The gamescom trend ‘Small teams, huge success’ picks up on the growing relevance of indie games, which is especially evident in gamescom’s indie area.
A host of leading politicians to attend gamescom
Premieres at gamescom usually revolve around newly announced games. gamescom 2026 will feature a premiere of a different kind: on gamescom Thursday, Frank-Walter Steinmeier will become the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany to attend the world’s biggest games event. He will open the gamescom congress and then take part in a tour of gamescom. A day earlier, several top-ranking politicians will attend the political opening of gamescom: Henna Virkkunen, Vice-President of the European Commission, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, and Federal Minister for Research Dorothee Bär will open gamescom together with Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, before touring the show to see the latest developments in the games industry for themselves. The discussions will focus above all on Germany and Europe as locations for games, and in particular on implementing the tax-based funding in Germany as announced in the coalition agreement, as well as the potential of games for democracy. In 2025, more than 600 politicians in total visited gamescom.
About gamescom:
gamescom is the world’s biggest gaming event and the most important business platform for the international games industry. From 24 to 30 August 2026, it brings together developers, trade visitors, companies and millions of fans from around the world – on site in Cologne and digitally across the globe. The week opens on 24 August with the developer conference gamescom dev. gamescom then opens to the public on the evening of 25 August with the major opening show gamescom Opening Night Live. Throughout the week, gamescom offers a unique blend of entertainment, business and community experience. Alongside gamescom in Cologne, gamescom latam in São Paulo and gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show in Bangkok have established themselves as further successful international gamescom editions.
About the gamescom congress:
The gamescom congress is the world’s leading conference on the potential of games in a digitalised world, with connections reaching far beyond the digital and media sectors. Speakers from Germany and abroad present their topics in talks, seminars and panel discussions. The gamescom congress takes place every year as part of gamescom in Cologne and is organised by Koelnmesse GmbH and game – The German Games Industry Association. The gamescom congress is funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
game – The German Games Industry Association
We are the association of the German games industry. Our members represent the entire video game ecosystem, from development studios and publishers to esports event organisers, educational institutions and other related entities. We are co-organisers of gamescom, the world’s biggest event for video games. We are a shareholder in the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK), the Foundation for Digital Games Culture, the esports player foundation, game events and the collecting society VHG, as well as co-host of the German Computer Game Awards. Serving as a central point of contact for media, as well as political and social institutions, we provide comprehensive expertise in areas including market development, game culture and media literacy, and address any inquiries or concerns. Together we are making Germany the heart of gaming worldwide. With games, we enrich the lives of all people.
Koelnmesse – industry trade fairs for the gaming sector:
Koelnmesse is an international leader in organising trade fairs in the gaming and entertainment segments. Hosted at the trade fairgrounds in Cologne, Germany, gamescom is the world’s largest event for computer and video games and Europe’s largest business platform for the games industry. gamescom brings together passionate gamers, business visitors, and exhibitors from across the world with a highly effective approach – in person at the venue and digitally from anywhere in the world. This makes gamescom the premier B2C, B2B, and B2G gaming event. In addition to the event at its Cologne headquarters, Koelnmesse is strategically expanding its portfolio internationally: In Southeast Asia, gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show provides an additional powerful industry platform for the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific games market, comprehensively combining supply and demand. For Brazil and Latin America, gamescom latam is a major event designed to stimulate dynamic growth in this market.
