gamescom latam 2024: the first step of a convention that can grow even bigger

With the death of E3, video game expos are trying to fill the void left by the event, and even looking for new territories. As an event, gamescom is one of the most famous and internationally recognized, both in its European and Asian editions. For this reason, we traveled to Brazil to find out what this first Latin American edition had in store for us.

Gamescom latam, the weight of Brazil, but too close to Latam

For almost 5 days, the Sao Paulo Expo Convention Center was home to a community that is interested in video games. Within gamescom latam, we fortunately found many games, many fans, and an industry that to some extent is the envy of the rest of the region, in a seemingly healthy and growing state. In recent years. Brazil has been trying to be more relevant on the continent, even as an independent region, and it shows.

At first, I had my doubts about the event. The opening ceremony felt strange and disorganized. Although it was initially compared to Geoff Keighly’s Opening Night Live, the presentation was far from the big announcements, with the new characters from Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero was the highlight of the night. Boy, even the beatboxers weren’t that fancy.

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The rest of the days, the show floor was packed with people, which made it a different experience. Although there was a lack of new announcements and AAA titles, of course, there was the presence of publishers like SEGA, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Warner Bros., Epic Games, and Bandai Namco. However, it was interesting to learn more about the indie and local industry. Brands like TecToy showed consoles like Zeenix and studios like Mad Mimic presented demos of their titles for this year.

After merging with the BIG Festival, we found a show that also focused on the independent scene and what it can offer. It was impressive to see almost 100 games by indie developers from all over the world in one place, ranging from student projects to even smaller indies, and even some made by just one person out of pure passion. This year’s selection included some titles that are about to be released or some that have debuted in previous years but are still worth knowing about and are nominated in various categories.

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Also, an important part of the event was the business area, with spaces for developers from around the world to meet business partners and continue to grow the industry in the region. The presence of government booths from both the state and the city of São Paulo speaks to the boost they want to give to the industry in the region. On the other hand, throughout the 5 days of gamescom latam, there were a lot of talks about the industry, development, market research, and more about the world of video games. The simple fact that there were people focused on creating sign language for each of these talks speaks to the expansion and accessibility of the event.

On the other hand, some areas could be improved. The Artist Alley may not have been that large, but it was somewhat hidden, as was the esports-focused stage. The cosplay area was not as large as one would have expected, but those who walked around the convention center did well.

We feel that despite being called gamescom latam, this last part is only in name. The weight of Brazil and Portuguese was felt in every corner, and although we had the presence of a community of Spanish-speaking developers from the region, everything felt limited to being a show focused on the host country, as the little Spanish we found was in the Nintendo booth. This is something they need to work on because the DNA of Gamescom is to be a regional show.

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Let’s see what awaits us next year, as there will certainly be changes. Still, for the first edition, the balance is very positive, as Brazilians have shown their heart and passion for this industry. This example should certainly be replicated in other countries in the region.

gamescom latam 2025 is expected to take place from April 30 to May 2 in an even larger venue.