Gamescom 2026: Global Show, AI, Platforms

Gamescom 2026 was likely the biggest ever, with sold-out expo space, according to a report from Pocket Gamer. The event, which included the rebranded Gamescom Dev, served as a major global gathering for the games industry.

A Worldwide Gathering

National delegations expanded significantly this year. Nigeria, led by Maliyo Games, and Morocco each had their first pavilion. Dubai hosted the UAE's largest pavilion to date, and Invest Qatar was on the trade floor. Brazil Games set up its first dedicated Brazilian Indie Pavilion in the consumer area. The UK, Catalonia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Nordic region, France, Australia, South Korea, and China's Zhejiang province also had large presences.

Representatives from Brazil Games, Kocca, and Maliyo said the event offers a chance to display their countries' developers and culture. It also allows for potential investment or publishing deals with the thousands of industry professionals attending. This activity signals government and regional investment in games, a shift Brian Baglow of the Scottish Game Network called a priority.

Asian Presence and Global Scope

Asian companies had a major showing. Hypergryph's Arknights: Endfield had an enormous booth and corridor banners. The game won Audio/Visual Excellence and People's Choice at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards. Other Chinese developers present included HoYoverse, Infold Games, Pawprint Studio, Tencent Games, and NetEase. Krafton, Sega, Bandai Namco, and Nintendo were also there.

The event was not dominated by Asian firms, however. Xbox showed Halo, Forza Horizon 6, Gears of War: E-Day, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Giants Software displayed a giant tractor for Farming Simulator. Embark featured Arc Raiders, EA Sports FC had a notable booth, and 4A Games presented Metro 2039. Banners advertised CD Projekt's The Witcher 3 expansion, Funcom's Dune Awakening, and Remedy's Control Resonant.

Platform Holder Engagement

Amid regulatory battles, Apple and Google conducted charm offensives. Google had its largest Gamescom showcase, with a consumer booth featuring a gacha machine containing over 53,000 prizes. It promoted premium and free-to-play titles on mobile and PC. Apple appeared at Gamescom Dev to share App Store best practices, like using Apple Games for discovery.

The report notes this engagement is positive for the industry, suggesting financial pressures may be driving the change after years of attempts to maintain a 30% revenue share and other policies.

Notable Absences

Several major names were missing. Grand Theft Auto VI was absent, with no promotions seen in Cologne, despite a timed Netflix extended look. PlayStation again did not have a large booth. While cross-platform mobile games were shown, the report states a difference exists between mobile companies met outside the expo and those represented inside.

Huawei AppGallery, Samsung, and Google Play were present, alongside mobile-only hits like Infold's Love and Deepspace. However, Roblox, with 123 million daily active users, had no large presence. Popular 'friendslop' games from Steam were not prominent. Streaming platforms like Paramount, Disney, and Netflix, which showed IP last year, were absent, marking a reduction in transmedia crossover efforts.

Industry Views on AI

AI's impact was a key topic. In an interview, Hypergryph co-founder Ryan stated Arknights: Endfield uses almost no AI, countering narratives about Chinese developers adopting the tech. He said the stance is unlikely to change soon, as AI is not currently suitable for the studio.

Other executives expressed different views. Anel Ceman, SVP at NC Mobile's casual division, said AI is central to its plans. Modern Times Group CEO Maria Redin stated the company is using AI to improve quality, increase content output, and get more games to market by removing production bottlenecks. She emphasized using tools without reducing workforce.

Steel Media GM Dave Bradley noted a shift toward on-device AI for benefits in cost, security, and latency, enabling personalized experiences. Companies like Parable Studio and Studio Atelico are working on such implementations. Discussions are moving beyond efficiency to explore new creative mechanics and reactive worlds. The Gamescom Dev Leadership Dinner was sponsored by Thinking AI and Google Cloud, highlighting the push for this technology.