Gamescom 2025 closes with record attendance and global reach

Gamescom 2025 closed last week in Cologne with record attendance and a raft of hardware and game reveals that industry figures said underline the event's growing global importance. Organizers reported 357,000 in‑person visitors from 128 countries, a 6.5 percent increase on 2024, alongside 1,568 exhibitors from 72 countries and expanded show space and outdoor areas at Koelnmesse.

The scale of the event was matched online, with organizers saying more than 630 million viewers tuned in to Gamescom content on Saturday evening, an increase of 105 percent from 2024. Opening Night Live drew what the event called a record 72 million viewers, which Gamescom said represented an roughly 80 percent rise over the previous year and made it the most watched edition in its seven‑year history.

Organizers cast the numbers as proof that Gamescom has become the central showcase for the industry. Felix Falk, managing director of the German Games Industry Association, said the festival is "bigger, more diverse and more international than ever before." Gerald Böse, president and CEO of Koelnmesse, added that the show "combines business and entertainment like no other event worldwide" and noted the...