History of Gamescom in Timeline

Gamescom, held annually in Cologne, Germany, is the world's largest gaming event. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and over a thousand exhibitors from dozens of countries. Video game developers use the event to showcase upcoming games and hardware. A key event is the "gamescom - Opening Night Live" (ONL) show, hosted by Geoff Keighley, which features the latest trailers and announcements from the global gaming industry.

2002: Games Convention in Leipzig

In 2002, the Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software started hosting the Games Convention in Leipzig.

2008: BIU and Koelnmesse Announcement

In 2008, BIU and Koelnmesse announced a new event circuit to be held in Cologne starting in 2009, leading to a conflict with the Leipzig Trade Fair and the cancellation of Games Convention in Leipzig.

September 2009: PlayStation 3 Slim Announcement

In September 2009, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced the PlayStation 3 Slim, a smaller and lighter model of the console, with a release date of 1 September 2009.

November 2009: European Video Store Launch

In November 2009, Sony announced that the European Video Store would launch.

December 2009: PlayStation Portable Minis and Comics

In December 2009, Sony announced that the PlayStation Portable would get smaller games (under 100mb) in the form of 'minis' and that comics would also be available to download.

2009: Game Developers Conference Europe

From 2009, the Game Developers Conference Europe (GDC Europe), a European spinoff of the Game Developers Conference, has been held in conjunction with the Gamescom.

2009: Gamescom 2009 Attendance

Gamescom 2009, held from 19–23 August, saw an attendance of 245,000 people.

2009: First Gamescom in Cologne

In August 2009, Gamescom was first held in Cologne, marking a successful launch while Games Convention Online was also launched after the original Games Convention was cancelled.

2010: Discontinuation of Games Convention Online

After its launch in 2009, Games Convention Online was discontinued in 2010 after the original Games Convention was cancelled.

2010: Gamescom 2010 Attendance

Gamescom 2010, held 18–22 August, saw an attendance of 254,000 people.

2010: Fable III Announcement

In 2010, Microsoft Game Studios announced Fable III, along with its release date. Microsoft also announced their intention to release Fable II on the Xbox Live Marketplace in five episodes, the first of which would be free to download.

2011: Gamescom 2011 Attendance

Gamescom 2011, held 17–21 August, saw an attendance of 275,000 people.

2011: Insomniac Games Announcements

In 2011, Insomniac Games announced Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One and Resistance 3, which will be exclusive to the PlayStation 3.

2012: Gamescom 2012 Attendance

Gamescom 2012, held 15–19 August, saw an attendance of 275,000 people.

2013: Gamescom 2013 Attendance

Gamescom 2013, held 21–25 August, saw an attendance of 340,000 people.

2014: Gamescom 2014 Attendance

Gamescom 2014, held 13–17 August, saw an attendance of 335,000 people.

2015: Gamescom 2015 Attendance

Gamescom 2015, held 5–9 August, saw an attendance of 345,000 people.

2016: Gamescom 2016 Attendance

Gamescom 2016, held 17–21 August, saw an attendance of 345,000 people.

2016: Game Developers Conference Europe

Until 2016, the Game Developers Conference Europe (GDC Europe), a European spinoff of the Game Developers Conference, has been held in conjunction with the Gamescom.

2017: Gamescom 2017 Attendance

Gamescom 2017, held 22–26 August, saw an attendance of 355,000 people.

2018: Gamescom 2018 Attendance

Gamescom 2018, held 21–25 August, saw an attendance of 370,000 people.

2018: Merger of BIU and GAME

In 2018, BIU merged with the industry body GAME, forming the German Games Industry Association.

2019: Gamescom 2019 Attendance

Gamescom 2019 was held 20–24 August. Geoff Keighley helped launch a dedicated video game announcement show prior to Gamescom, called "Gamescom: Opening Night Live".

2019: Geoff Keighley Hosts Opening Night Live

Starting in 2019, Geoff Keighley began hosting Opening Night Live, a streamed event at the beginning of Gamescom, serving as a platform for trailer launches and game announcements.

August 2020: Gamescom 2020 Goes Online

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gamescom 2020, scheduled for 25-29 August, moved some portions of the show online. The online Opening Night Live was confirmed to start on 27 August, followed by developer interviews and events through 30 August.

August 2021: Gamescom 2021 Hybrid Exhibition

Gamescom 2021 was held 25–27 August 2021. The event was preceded by Opening Night Live with Geoff Keighley on 25 August. Gamescom 2021 was a hybrid exhibition experience with online and live events.

2021: Gamescom Asia Established

In 2021, an offshoot of the trade fair was established for the Asian region under the name Gamescom Asia and takes place in Singapore.

August 2022: Gamescom 2022 In-Person and Online

Gamescom 2022 was held 24–28 August 2022. The event was both in-person and online. 265,000 people attended that year's visit.

2022: The Game Awards 2022 incident

8 months before the 2023 Gamescom stage incident, a similar incident occurred at The Game Awards 2022, in which Keighley also hosted.

August 2023: Gamescom 2023 Stage Interruption

During Gamescom 2023 held 23–27 August 2023, one attendee rushed the stage and interrupted presenter Geoff Keighley, saying that "Bill Clinton wants to play GTA VI".

2023: Gamescom Latam Agreement

In 2023, Koelnmesse closed an agreement with BIG Festival and Omelete Company for a new offshoot under the name Gamescom Latam, which takes place in Brazil.