Game News

Gamescom 2026 draws 368,000 visitors, sells out its floor and comes close to the 2019 record

Gamescom 2026 closed in Cologne on 30 August with 368,000 visitors from 131 countries, about 3% more than last year, organisers said. South Korea's Gamemeca reported that visitors from outside Germany rose 6%, and that the roughly 233,000 square metres of exhibition space sold out for the first time.

Gamemeca said 1,743 companies from 66 countries exhibited, up 11%, with a record 72% from abroad and 48 national pavilions. Trade visitors passed 36,000, about half from abroad. The Opening Night Live stream drew 78 million views, up 8.33%, while digital content overall passed 624 million views, roughly flat on last year. It also listed next year's dates: 23–29 August 2027.

PocketGamer.biz pointed out that the figure fell just short of the show's record of 373,000 visitors in 2019, and named Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands and the US as the fastest-growing sources of trade visitors. It added that the Awesome Indies stream reached 302,000 views, up more than 670%.

How each outlet framed it

• Gamemeca — international growth, with the full organisers' figures and the first appearance of Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the gamescom congress.
• PocketGamer.biz — the business side: trade visitors, exhibitors and how close the show came to its best year.

Where the numbers differ: the two agree on the headline figures; the difference is the comparison. Gamemeca measured against 2025, PocketGamer.biz against the 2019 record.