Gamescom has revealed the key achievements of Gamescom 2026, which took place at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, from August 26 to 30 local time.

This year's event saw a total of 1,743 companies from 66 countries participate—an 11% increase compared to 2025—resulting in the exhibition space of approximately 233,000 square metres selling out for the very first time. A staggering 368,000 visitors rolled in from 131 countries, marking a 3.08% bump from the previous year. International visitors outside of Germany rose by 6%, and the proportion of foreign exhibitors hit an all-time high at 72%. Furthermore, 48 national pavilions operated across 41 countries.

Business visitors exceeded 36,000, registering a 5.88% increase over last year. Roughly 50% of them came from abroad, with Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States showing the most robust growth. The participation rate of top management also went up.

As of the evening of August 29 local time, digital content for Gamescom pulled in over 624 million views, maintaining a level similar to last year. However, views for Gamescom Opening Night Live climbed by 8.33% to hit 78 million.

Following that, the 'gamescom awesome indies' show recorded 302,000 views, while the 'gamescom epix' page views reached 6.2 million, about a 9% increase year-on-year. Gamescom GDQ also debuted the international speedrun format 'Games Done Quick' on a European stage for the very first time.

Felix Falk, Managing Director of the German Games Industry Association, stated that Gamescom 2026 impressively demonstrated its role as the central platform for the international gaming industry. Falk noted that the event broke numerous records from last year, particularly in terms of international participation rates and the sheer number of exhibiting companies. Falk added that one could truly feel the momentum driving towards the future here, and that this serves as the driving force propelling the industry forward amidst various challenges while creating the unique atmosphere of Gamescom.

Gerald Böse, President and CEO of Koelnmesse, chimed in by saying that Gamescom unites people from all over the globe, combining the economic and social value of gaming on an unrivaled scale. Böse expressed deep satisfaction with the event's massive success and powerful international character, pointing out that this demonstrates how Gamescom's standing as a leading platform for everyone who plays, develops, and creates games continues to grow.

Registration for the developer conference gamescom dev rose by 15% to 6,200 attendees. Meanwhile, the gamescom congress saw Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier make a historic first-ever appearance, drawing over 1,100 participants.

Next year's Gamescom is scheduled to run from August 23 to August 29 local time. gamescom dev will kick off on August 23 and 24, with Gamescom Opening Night Live taking place on the evening of August 24. August 25 will serve as the business and media day, before the venue opens its doors to the general public starting August 26.