Following a ban by the government of Germany on physical events till August end due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the physical event for Gamescom 2020 has been officially cancelled. Organizers Koelnmesse and Game – The German Games Industry Association announced the same on Twitter. It also confirmed that a digital event, which was already in the works, would still take place.
“You can already look forward to how we will celebrate the best games and Gamescom together with you and millions of gamers worldwide at the end of August, even if it will only be digital and not on location this time. Because one thing is certain: this year, too, Gamescom is and will remain ‘The Heart of Gaming!'” More details will be provided in the coming weeks with refunds for paid tickets also on the way.
On the bright side, Gamescom: Opening Night Live hosted by Geoff Keighley will be completely digital and streamed live on August 24th. You can expect a number of announcements and major reveals like last year’s showing. Considering that next-gen consoles are (still seemingly) on the horizon, it should be an interesting show.
Gamescom 2020 is just the most recent in a long line of postponements and cancellations due to the pandemic. GDC 2020 was postponed to August while E3 2020’s physical event was cancelled with no online event happening. Publishers like Microsoft and Ubisoft will have their own digital presentations though concrete plans have yet to be announced. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.
Official statement regarding #gamescom2020 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fHaN4GOULM
— gamescom (@gamescom) April 16, 2020
With the physical @gameacom event not going forward, Gamescom: Opening Night Live will now be an all digital show, streaming live on Monday, August 24. https://t.co/kL2t50VnRA
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) April 16, 2020
