What you need to know
- Gamescom is returning in 2022 with a physical event in Cologne, Germany.
- Gamescom 2022 is being held from August 24 through August 28, 2022.
- New hygiene and safety protocols are being implemented in the return of this physical event.
- Digital presentations like Opening Night Live at Gamescom will still be held.
Gamescom is returning as a physical, in-person event in 2022. This is marked departure from the past two years, which saw fully digital events in 2020 and 2021.
According to the press release, Gamescom 2022 will be using a new "hygiene and safety concept" to ensure better safety for the attendees. While the focus is once again on large-scale in-person event, the digital programs aren't being removed, with the return of Opening Night Light at Gamescom and more. While there's no date just yet, it's safe to expect that Geoff Keighley, creator and host of the Game Awards and Summer Game Fest, will return to host Opening Night Live at Gamescom.
Gamescom 2022 is being designed with a "Gamescom goes green" concept in mind, with an emphasis on reducing CO2 emissions through carbon offsets. In 2019, the last fully in-person Gamescom event, over 370,000 people attended the event, leading to packed lines and long wait times for trying out demo stations.
Ever since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, the gaming world has been radically altered, with an increased focus on online events and digital presentations. Notably, it is currently unclear what E3 2022 looks like and if the event will even be held. Meanwhile, Keighley has confirmed that Summer Game Fest will return, though we'll have to wait for more information.
