gamescom’s Opening Night Live is the king of the summer event

Gamescom, an event that has long-lived in the shadow of the legendary E3, has gradually established itself as the world’s leading video game festival. Figures released this week by Koelnmesse, the international exhibition center that hosts gamescom, show the current size of the German trade show, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

More than 335,000 gamers from 120 countries gathered in Cologne, Germany, to once again celebrate video game culture and all that surrounds it, with Opening Night Live as the traditional opening ceremony, which this time generated 40 million views, double last year’s numbers.

“gamescom has once again proven its unmatched global reach and significance as the world’s leading event for the gaming industry. Surpassing last year’s figures with record-breaking digital engagement and a rise in on-site visitors, gamescom, Koelnmesse and the game association unite gaming fans worldwide through their shared passion, driving innovation and partnerships in the gaming industry in a way no other event has ever done before”, said Gerald Böse, President and CEO of Koelnmesse.

Although the Summer Game Fest tries to take the place of the defunct E3 more formally - both in terms of timing and location - and continues to concentrate on big announcements, it is clear that companies are already reserving important revelations for Germany, and gamescom 2024 saw the gameplay demo of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the announcement of Borderlands 4, the announcement of the release date and PS5 version of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and much more.

Among all its shows, gamescom generated 310 million views and more than 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 countries, spread over over 200 thousand meters of exhibition space. Monstrous figures for an event that, although it gathered more than 30 thousand industry professionals, dedicated a good part of its attention to the fans, who celebrated not only in the convention center but also in the entire city of Cologne.

With all this in mind, it comes as no surprise that gamescom 2025 already has a date: August 20-24 next year, kicking off on August 19 with a new edition of Opening Night Live.