- 60 big companies and thus twice as many as in 2020 are gamescom partners
- 255 indie devs with 120 curated top games in Indie Arena Booth Online
- Alle Inhalte auf gamescom now
- Over 30 hotly anticipated games in gamescom: Opening Night Live
- Around 30 partners providing exclusive prizes for the gamescom EPIX community challenge
- Developer conference devcom starting today
- gamescom forest to grow to over 15,000 square meters
- gamescom 2021 starts August 25, 2021, all-digitally
- Free registration at now.gamescom.global
It’s happening this week: gamescom 2021 will officially start on August 25 at 11 a.m. (PT) / 8 p.m. (CEST) with the major event gamescom: Opening Night Live. Shortly before the start of the world’s biggest event for computer and video games, the organizers, Koelnmesse and game – The German Games Industry Association, have announced further details today and revealed an overview of the complete program. As of now, fans can register free of charge on the gamescom now content hub (https://now.gamescom.global), where they will be able to discover all the announcements, news, and highlights in one place from the start of gamescom 2021.
Tremendous support for gamescom 2021 from top partners
Around 60 international big companies are on board as partners of gamescom 2021: They will showcase themselves and their new game titles extensively during gamescom and in particular on gamescom now. A strong signal in favor of gamescom’s digital concept: The number of big companies has doubled year over year. During the last weeks, prestigious representatives from the games industry have joined the list of participating companies, including names such as Amazon Games, Epic Games, Humble Games, Konami Digital Entertainment B.V., Nekki, Netmarble, Pearl Abyss, Sharkmob AB (Tencent Games), Techland, and Warner Bros. Games. On board since Mid-July are companies like Activision, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Bethesda Softworks, Electronic Arts, Koch Media, SEGA Europe, Ubisoft, Wargaming und Xbox.
Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association, says: “Finally, we’re approaching the start again: gamescom 2021 is the event that the global gaming community has been waiting for. Drawing on our experience last year, we have comprehensively further developed gamescom’s digital concept. With gamescom now, the gamescom shows, our new gamescom EPIX challenge and the numerous challenges and events hosted by gamescom partners, gamers across the globe can look forward to several days packed with announcements, news and talks about the most hotly anticipated games from August 25.”
The major developers and publishers will be joined by 255 indie developers, who will present themselves in the virtual world of the Indie Arena Booth Online (IAB Online). 120 curated top games will be featured in large virtual booths. The IAB Online is hosted exclusively on gamescom now.
New media and reach partners have signed up, including new international collaborations. The list of partners now includes Bilibili (CN), CHIP.de (DE), DouYu (CN), eSports1/Sport1 (DE), Fomos (KR), Game Bonfire (CN), Games.cz (CZ), GamesMarkt (DE), GameStar (HU), Gry-Online.pl (PL), Huya (CN), INVEN (KR), JaRock (PL), Merlin’in Kazani (TR), Play4UK (UK), Ruliweb (KR), SECTOR (SK), Wehype (SE, DK, and NO among other territories).
“gamescom is THE event for the global gaming community. This is why I’m especially pleased that, on the one hand, we have succeeded this year in further increasing the share of foreign companies among our partners to 75 percent compared to last year – this means we will present a very international picture of the industry on gamescom now. On the other hand, I’m equally pleased that we will be able to bring the content produced by these companies to the global gaming community with a highly effective approach thanks to our numerous internationally active media and reach partners. Our concept is paying dividends,” says Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse.
An overview of all the gamescom 2021 partners mentioned can be found at: https://www.gamescom.global/the-gamescom/gamescom-2021/partners-of-gamescom-2021/. In addition to the partners already named, the organizers have a surprise or two lined up for the community. Some partners will only be announced with the start of gamescom: Opening Night Live.
The program for devcom, the conference for game developers, also kicks off today. Besides exclusive talks and keynotes, participants can expect numerous business formats and matchmaking. Tickets and program information are available at: https://www.devcom.global/ddc-2021/
gamescom EPIX is making waves
Debuting at gamescom 2021 is gamescom EPIX, a community challenge that already has gamers enthralled: By the time of the official opening of gamescom 2021 on August 25, the community is expected to have already completed the first 15 quests, which the challenge’s cheerful mascot, EPI, sets at regular intervals at https://now.gamescom.global/epix. This will mean that the VAULT can be opened to reveal the first prizes. A further 15 quests will be staged during gamescom. Once all the tasks are complete, the gamescom VAULT will open again, unveiling the main prizes from around 30 partners.
Around 20 hours of pure cosplay and retro power
Cosplay and retro gaming have always been key elements of gamescom. At gamescom 2021, the two areas will join forces to provide fans with an unparalleled show program. On August 26 and 27, the virtual cosplay village will open the live stream from noon to 5:30 p.m. (CEST) with cosplay, music, art, and props, plus a range of workshops. In the second half of the day, from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (CEST), the fun will continue with game developers, collectors, fans, and connoisseurs of classic games as well as new games in modern retro style. The entire streaming program will be available to fans free of charge at gamescom now (https://now.gamescom.global).
Cosplay enthusiasts are sure to be excited about this year’s second purely digital edition of the gamescom cosplay contest. In the past few weeks, the air has once again been throbbing to the sound of sewing machines, fantastic props have been constructed, magical pictures have been taken – and the 20 finalists of the gamescom cosplay contest 2021 have now been selected. The announcement of this year’s winners in three different categories will be broadcast on gamescom now from 9:00 p.m. (CEST) on August 27. All the details about the finalists, the prizes, the jury and the procedure can be found at https://www.gamescom.global/for-visitors/areas/cosplay-village/gamescom-cosplay-contest/
Target to grow gamescom forest to at least 15,000 m²
Koelnmesse and the German Games Industry Association launched the gamescom forest at gamescom 2020. The aim of the project is to help reforest Germany’s threatened woodlands and make a contribution to the fight against climate change with the support of the gaming community. An area of forest extending over 12,000 m² was already successfully planted in 2020, and it is hoped that the target of at least 15,000 m² will be reached during gamescom 2021. Everyone can participate by giving donations starting at just one euro via the following link: https://gamescomforest.betterplace.org/
Key figures for gamescom 2021
- Around 60 big companies participating in gamesocm 2021 as partners – twice as much as 2020
- 255 indie developers in the Indie Arena Booth Online, 120 selected top games with big virtual booths – all of which can be experienced at gamescom now
- More than 30 hotly anticipated games in the opening show, gamescom: Opening Night Live.
- A total of over 70 developers and publishers delivering content in gamescom shows.
- Around 20 hours of streaming content on cosplay and retro topics.
- 20 finalists in the gamescom cosplay contest.
An overview of gamescom 2021
The gamescom week starts on August 23 with the devcom developer conference, which will deliver a comprehensive content and business program through until August 27.
The official kick-off for gamescom 2021 will take place at 8:00 p.m. (CEST) on August 25 with the grand opening show, gamescom: Opening Night Live with Geoff Keighley, during which over 30 eagerly anticipated games will be presented. Across both August 26 and 27, the German- and English-language gamescom studio will treat fans to new trailers, exclusive demos, interviews and plenty of surprises. On August 26, the gamescom: Awesome Indies show will also present the most exciting titles from independent developers. The gamescom congress, Europe’s leading conference on the potential of computer and video games in a digitalized world, will also be held on August 26 and 27.
On each day of gamescom, attendees will have access to brand-new content – such as images and video material relating to new games – provided by the gamescom partners on gamescom now. The partners will also broadcast their own live streams and appear in the gamescom shows. From August 25 and into the weekend, indie fans can also explore the virtual world of the Indie Arena Booth Online’s “Summercamp of Doom” with their own avatars. Cosplay and retro fans will get their fair share of the fun with day-long live streams on August 26 and 27.
The gamescom 2021 experience will be rounded out by a supporting program delivered by various media and broadcasting partners. For example, Rocket Beans TV, Freaks 4U Gaming, and INSTINCT3 are once again jointly organizing the “Gamevasion.” Then there’s a collaboration from top streamers Gronkh, Papaplatte, and Trymacs, who are teaming up for the first time as SPIELESAUSE. Numerous creator networks and online platforms will also be co-streaming and commenting on the gamescom shows in various languages.
About gamescom
gamescom is the world’s largest event for computer and video games and Europe’s largest business platform for the games industry. gamescom 2021 will be held exclusively in digital format from Wednesday, August 25 to Friday, August 27, 2021. On-site events in Cologne will not take place this year. gamescom is jointly organized by Koelnmesse and game – the German Games Industry Association.
Koelnmesse – Global Competence in Digital Media, Entertainment and Mobility: Koelnmesse is an international leader in organising trade fairs in the Digital Media, Entertainment and Mobility segments. Trade fairs like DMEXCO, gamescom, gamescom asia, INTERMOT and THE TIRE COLOGNE are established as leading international trade fairs. Koelnmesse not only organises trade fairs in these areas in Cologne, but also in other growth markets like, for example, China, Singapore and Thailand, which have different areas of focus and content. These global activities offer customers of Koelnmesse tailor-made events in different markets, which guarantee sustainable and international business.
Further information: www.koelnmesse.com/current-dates/all-trade-fairs/#3
Related: gamescom Award 2021 Announces Nominees
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