Another event joins the long list of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This time it is Gamescom, the trade fair typically held in August in the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany.
An official statement was released in German on the Gamescom Web site. A version translated into English was made available via the event’s Twitter:
Official statement regarding #gamescom2020 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fHaN4GOULM
— gamescom (@gamescom) April 16, 2020
Since 2018, Gamescom has held the titles of both the world’s largest gaming event – in terms of both event space and number of visitors, with over 300,000 attendees – and the most prominent gaming news expo of the year. In 2019, presenters included Nintendo, Xbox, Sony, CD Projekt, Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and more.
Titles announced at last year’s Gamescom included the remake of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the recently released for beta Minecraft RTX, and the official release of Death Stranding after years of rumors and speculation. This year’s event was rumored to include similarly high-profile announcements, including new information about the upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles.
Fortunately, Gamescom’s official announcement included confirmation that some form of the alternative digital event will be happening this summer. Details regarding how this event will happen were not shared, although the German press release stated that more information would be coming in the middle of May. However, the statement reassured fans that the digital Gamescom will continue to celebrate games and “remain ‘The Heart of Gaming.'”
The message also encouraged fans to stay home and play games using the #StayHomePlayTogether hashtag, which has been used by game companies and gaming industry features all around the world.
Additionally, those who purchased tickets for Gamescom 2020 initially will receive a full refund. Customers will be contacted by Koelnmesse shortly and do not have to take any additional action.
What announcements are you hoping to hear during Digital Gamescom this August? Let us know!
