Gamescom 2026 began in Cologne, Germany, marking its largest edition to date. The event completely filled an area of 233 thousand square meters, an unprecedented feat in the fair's history, bringing together developers, companies, industry professionals, and gamers.
In this edition, participation exceeded the mark of 1,700 exhibitors, representing 67 countries and regions, surpassing the previous record of 1,568. A notable aspect of Gamescom's international growth is that over 70% of the participating companies are not German.
The organization anticipates the arrival of over 350 thousand visitors by the closing of the fair, scheduled for August 30th. In addition to exhibitors, Gamescom features 47 national and regional pavilions, setting another record for the event, and hosts everyone from industry giants to global independent developers.
Major corporations such as Xbox, Sega, and Nintendo are present, using the event to showcase new titles and allow the public to test their games. Visitors have the opportunity to experience titles like Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and Mario Kart World, as well as other releases presented during the week.
A point of great interest for the public was The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which gained prominence after announcements made during the Opening Night Live. CD Projekt Red released the The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered version, which offers visual, performance, and gameplay improvements to the RPG, and also presented the first details of the new expansion Songs of the Past, reigniting interest in the title.
In addition to future releases, artificial intelligence emerged as a prominent theme at Gamescom 2026. Developers and companies are discussing how to integrate new AI-based tools into creation and production processes within the video game industry, reflecting a broader shift in game development due to increasing costs, complexity, and scale of major productions.
Gamescom 2026 remains open until August 30th, having started general public access this Thursday (27th). Despite the expanded area, the main focus of the event remains the connection between players, developers, and communities. With expectations of over 350 thousand visitors by Sunday, the 2026 edition consolidates Gamescom as one of the world's leading showcases in the video game sector.