It has not yet been finally decided whether gamescom 2020 can take place this year as usual or not. Until then, the planning continues as usual, but you are preparing for all possible scenarios.
This includes expanding the digital offering, which has been further specified today. Although the world’s largest event for computer and video games will only take place in five months, some of the planned measures have already been announced in view of the corona crisis. Existing digital formats such as gamescom: Opening Night Live and gamescom now will be expanded significantly and additional modules added.
Gamescom will take place in any case and at least in digital form from August 25th to 29th and will not be postponed. The same applies to the devcom developer conference (August 22-24), which starts the gamescom week.
“Gamescom and Koelnmesse are already digital pioneers in the international trade fair landscape. We therefore see the current corona crisis as an opportunity to implement digital event formats even more consistently. Gamescom 2020 is the perfect stage for this. When we reevaluate the situation for all gamescom formats at the Cologne exhibition center in mid-May, the health of visitors has top priority. Of course, all preparations are still in full swing, both physically and digitally, ”says Oliver Frese, Managing Director of Koelnmesse GmbH.
The decision will be made in mid-May
In mid-May, in view of the subsequent developments in the corona pandemic, an assessment is to be carried out in cooperation with the responsible government agencies in which form gamescom can also take place on site in Cologne. At this point, it is also clearer what changes there have to be to ensure the health of all visitors on site. This has been coordinated with the largest exhibitors, so that all gamescom plans are currently in full swing.
At the same time, the organizers affirmed that not only the tickets already paid will be reimbursed to the visitors, but also that the exhibitors will be reimbursed 100 percent of the payments made to Koelnmesse if gamescom and devcom cannot take place in Cologne after an official decision.
“Millions of fans around the world are looking forward to gamescom 2020. That is why we are determined to celebrate news, announcements and world premieres together with the community this year in August. In view of the corona crisis, we are now expanding all digital formats at high pressure so that gamescom 2020 can at least take place digitally. With the global show gamescom: Opening Night Live or the portal gamescom now, we already reach millions of gamescom fans around the world. Further expansion of our digital strategy is now exactly the right path, ”says game managing director Felix Falk.
It is difficult to say whether you should use it to buy your tickets or not. If necessary, you should wait until mid-May, after which you still have three months.