Europe's biggest video game convention, Gamescom, is currently still scheduled to go ahead in Cologne, Germany this summer, despite the many, many industry events that have been forced to either alter or completely cancel their plans due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
As noted in an official press release, Gamescom has not yet made a decision on whether to cancel its physical trade show, which saw almost 400,000 visitors gather in 2019 to catch a glimpse at the latest and greatest games the world's publishers had to offer. The official decision of whether or not to go ahead with a physical show will be made in May.
Gamescom is unlikely to be cancelled entirely, however, as plans are already being made for the event to have a "significantly expanded" online presence. This will include a bumper edition of the "Opening Night Live" show, and a much more feature-packed "Gamescom Now" streaming schedule. So while it seems increasingly more unlikely that a physical event will take place, video game fans will still be able to tune in online for a whole week of demos, developer talks, trailers, reveals, and more.
It's easy to see why organisers are yet to commit to a cancellation. Last year, Gamescom made clear efforts to step up as the premier industry event of the year. With E3 2020 now cancelled, and publishers everywhere looking for a platform to showcase products for both the remainder of 2020 and a new generation of gaming, Gamescom might be on track for its most important and notable show to date. But we're in the middle of an unprecedented global crisis right now, and one that clearly needs to take priority over all.
Gamescom 2020 is scheduled to take place between August 25-29.
