Gamescom in 2021 will be an all-digital affair again this year, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the gaming event's organizers announced today.
The German Games Industry Association announced the decision today to hold Gamescom 2021 as an all-digital , citing the need for reliability with the schedule as a main factor. They also cite the "current situation," though stop short of naming COVID-19 itself (though it's not hard to surmise that was a factor) as a major factor for the move from trying to plan a hybrid in-person/digital event to an all-digital program.
"Together with game – The German Games Industry Association, we have put all our energy into making gamescom 2021 in a hybrid format possible for fans and industry alike. However, even though the hybrid concept was very well received by the partners, we had to recognize that gamescom still comes too early for many companies in the industry due to the required planning reliability. One thing is absolutely clear: All those involved now need planning reliability. That's why we're going for a purely digital gamescom again this year and, with sufficient lead time, will be able to offer the gaming community an even stronger online event at the end of August 2021. gamescom 2020 and other trade fairs such as DMEXCO @home 2020 and h+h cologne @home 2021 are proof that we can do this. All partners can book their participation starting immediately."
More and more games industry events are moving to exclusively digital for the foreseeable future thanks to the current global situation, including the news earlier this year that the Electronic Entertainment Expo will also be an all-digital event.
Gamescom 2021 announced it's trying to build off last year's success, kicking the show off with game journalist and presenter Geoff Keighley doing opening night hosting duties. The digital event will kick off on August 25th, with the main days of Gamescom taking place on August 26th - 27th.
Gamescom is the world's largest comsumer event for the games industry, seeing both industry members and fans able to get their first look at the future for gaming.
Featured image via Koelnmesse Allgemein/Gamescom
