Fresh games and lots of events – Gamescom: Information on tickets, opening times and more

Gamescom is an annual highlight for gamers. This year's event is scheduled for August in Cologne. Last year, the organizers reported 320,000 visitors from over 100 nations. Tickets were sold out on three of the four public days. This year's plans include a stage program for the opening and extensive exhibition stands. This is what visitors should know about Gamescom, tickets and the schedule.

When does Gamescom start?

This year, Gamescom will take place in Cologne from August 21 to 25. Private visitors will only have access to the halls and the opportunity to test the video games on display from August 22. The first day of Gamescom is the so-called trade visitor and media day.

On this day, only accredited visitors are allowed to enter the exhibition halls. This includes, for example, industry representatives and journalists. Nevertheless, private visitors have the opportunity to take part in Gamescom on August 21st thanks to wildcard tickets.

What are the opening hours of Gamescom?

Gamescom opens its doors at 10:00 a.m. on August 22 and 23. On the trade fair weekend, August 24 and 25, admission begins at 9:00 a.m. On all days, operations end at 8:00 p.m.

Are tickets for Gamescom still available?

Good news for those interested: There are still tickets available for Gamescom. Prices vary depending on the day and admission time. Day tickets and evening tickets can be purchased from the official Gamescom shop.

A day ticket costs 29.50 euros for August 22, 23 and 25. A day ticket for Saturday costs 39 euros. The day tickets allow access as soon as the Koelnmesse opens for Gamescom.

The evening tickets cost 9.50 euros for August 22, 23 and 25 and 11.50 euros for August 24. Private visitors can use these tickets to access Gamescom from 4 p.m. A wildcard allows you to attend the trade visitor and media day. This ticket costs 64 euros. Family tickets for a maximum of five people cost between 65 and 81.50 euros.

What awaits guests at Gamescom?

Visitors to Gamescom can look forward to numerous video games, shows and merchandise. The exhibition halls are divided into themes and offer a wide range of products. An awards ceremony will take place on August 23. Among other things, the Gamescom awards for the best trade fair appearance and the most entertaining game will be presented.

Exhibitors such as Microsoft and Electronic Arts have set up their stands with demo stations in the halls. At these stations, you can play titles that have already been released. They also offer demo versions of selected games that are due to be released in the next few months. Visitors can expect very long waiting times. The queues for blockbusters can last several hours.

The list of playable titles at Gamescom includes some of the bigger games that are scheduled to be released in 2024 and 2025. These include “EA Sports FC” (formerly “FIFA”), the monster hunting action “Monster Hunter Wilds” and the anime fighting game “Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero”.

Gamescom also has something for fans of board games. They can play together in the “Cards & Boards Area”. The Pokémon Company is represented in this area with its trading card game.

In the Retro Area, visitors can sit down at platforms and games from the last few decades, such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) or the Commodore 64 (C64). For fans of indie games, there are two places to go in the “Indie Area”: ​​the “Indie Arena Booth” and the “Home of Indies”. This is where smaller development studios present their games. For those who are also interested in working on video games, the developers are often available at the booth for discussions. In the merchandise halls, visitors have the opportunity to purchase items such as shirts, hats, statues and stuffed animals.

For many fans and content makers, cosplays are one of the highlights of the fair every year. Visitors dress up in elaborate costumes as characters from video games, series or films, among others. The so-called “Cosplay Village” has its own space in Hall 5. A “Cosplay Contest” also takes place there.

World premieres during Gamescom Opening Night Live

During Gamescom Opening Night Live, several video games will celebrate their world premiere. Viewers can also expect new trailers for previously announced games from home. In recent years, it has been common practice for some announced titles to be playable at Gamescom.

The show will take place on August 20th from 8pm and will be broadcast live on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, X and Facebook. Geoff Keighley will host the event. His co-host is esports commentator Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere. The show garnered more than 20 million views across various platforms last year.

Who is taking part in Gamescom?

Well-known video game manufacturers at Gamescom include Microsoft, Ubisoft (“Star Wars Outlaws”) and Bandai Namco (“Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero”). Other exhibitors include Square Enix (“Final Fantasy XIV”), Blizzard Entertainment (“World of Warcraft”) and Capcom (“Monster Hunter Wilds”).

In addition to the larger manufacturers, companies such as Giants Software (“Farming Simulator 25”) and Astragon Entertainment (“Construction Simulator”) from Germany are also represented. Hardware enthusiasts can look forward to manufacturers such as AMD and Asus.

Fans of “Mario” and “Zelda” will probably look in vain for new adventures for their favorites, as Nintendo is staying away from Gamescom. PlayStation players are in a similar situation, as Sony Interactive is also not taking part in the trade fair. Interestingly, the company's hardware division is represented at Gamescom with Sony Germany.

By (ada/ki/spot)