Gamescom 2021 is an All-Digital Event - News

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The German Games Industry Association announced Gamescom 2021 will now be an all-digital event after it was previously announced to be a hybrid event. It will also be free for evryone. 

The decision to change Gamescom 2021 to all-digital was done after there were extensive discussions with partners and exhibitors. Many companies are unable to attend physical events this year due to the ongoing pandemic that has prevented international travel in many countries. 

Gamescom 2021 will start with Gamescom: Opening Night Live hosted by Geoff Keighley on August 25, followed by two main days of events on August 26 and 27. 

The Gamescom Now hub is being relaunched with an improved design and more features for fans and partners. Also new is Gamescom Epix, which allows fans to playfully immerse themselves in the Gamescom universe on the road to Gamescom. 

"Together with game – The German Games Industry Association, we have put all our energy into making Gamescom 2021 in a hybrid format possible for fans and industry alike," said Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse Oliver Frese.

"However, even though the hybrid concept was very well received by the partners, we had to recognize that Gamescom still comes too early for many companies in the industry due to the required planning reliability. One thing is absolutely clear: All those involved now need planning reliability. That's why we're going for a purely digital Gamescom again this year and, with sufficient lead time, will be able to offer the gaming community an even stronger online event at the end of August 2021.

"Gamescom 2020 and other trade fairs such as DMEXCO @home 2020 and h+h cologne @home 2021 are proof that we can do this. All partners can book their participation starting immediately."

The Managing Director of game at The German Games Industry Association Felix Falk added, "We, as the game industry, also want to use Gamescom to show that innovations and bold developments are the best way to deal with such crises. With this in mind, the Gamescom team has been hard at work for months on Gamescom 2021, especially on the digital elements.

"Next year will be the first time that we will be able to implement many of the new concepts for the hybrid format of Gamescom. For digital Gamescom 2021, our focus is to provide even more games and reach as well as a heightened community atmosphere. We are therefore introducing a completely new concept called Gamescom epix, which sends the community on a joint quest journey in social media even before Gamescom begins. What we want to do with this is transfer even more of the unique Gamescom atmosphere to the digital world.

"Together with our numerous partners, we want to make Gamescom the world’s biggest gaming event again in 2021."

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.

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