Annual video game conference gamescom has issued a statement that it will no longer take place this year on-site in Cologne, Germany. The announcement comes after the German federal states yesterday agreed on the next steps to fight COVID-19, as part of the agreement the federal government officially restricted “large-scale” events until at least Aug. 31. The conference had been scheduled for Aug. 25-29.
According to its statement, gamescom is now working on creating a “digital gamescom” with details to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Earlier this year the largest U.S. gaming expo, E3, also canceled its 2020 event, meaning that now two of the world’s largest video game expos will not take place in person this year. While esports is not the focus of either event, these conferences have historically served as important networking hubs for teams, brands, and developers to connect with one another.
