The big picture: Gamescom is returning this summer with an in-person element. The show was forced to go all-digital in 2020 in response to the ongoing global pandemic. Last year’s event was supposed to be a hybrid with in-person and digital elements, but organizers shifted to an all-digital format due to an uptick in infections.
Gamescom will be held in the Cologne exhibition halls in Germany from August 24 through August 28. Producer and host Geoff Keighley will once again kick off the festivities on August 23 with a special Opening Night Live broadcast that’ll no doubt produce plenty of world premieres and updates on existing projects.
Happy to announce I have signed a new deal to continue producing and hosting @gamescom Opening Night Live.
We will see you back live in Cologne, Germany on Tuesday, August 23. pic.twitter.com/kQVd73s8zP
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) March 10, 2022
Organizers are taking steps to ensure the safety of visitors. For example, they will be utilizing an improved admission management system with a digital queue system and wider aisles on the show floor. Ticket sales will also be limited to help with crowd control.
Gamescom 2022 will also have a digital component for those that can’t make it out to the show in person.
Organizers are additionally adopting a three-pillar green initiative for the first time. It’ll build on existing measures like free local public transportation tickets, hall renovations and raising money for the Gamescom forest project to help offset emissions. Organizers are encouraging visitors, exhibitors and interested parties to donate to the cause if they can.