2020 saw many of the industries biggest events either get cancelled outright, or translated into a digital format, due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. Despite many advances in moving towards combating the virus, it would seem many event organisers are not yet ready to risk in-person events. Such is the case with Gamescom, which will once again host an all-digital event in 2021.

Making the announcement in a press release, they revealed “The German Games Industry Association have decided to hold gamescom 2021 as an all-digital event. This decision was made after extensive discussions with partners and exhibitors. Thus, the organizers take into account the current situation, in which too many companies are unable to participate in physical events this year due to the still difficult development.”

They continued, “In this way, they also meet the partners' strong need for planning security. This means that gamescom 2021 will be held exclusively digitally and free of charge for all gamescom fans.”

While the case for putting safety first is an important one, and is more than enough reason to keep the event all-digital in 2021, it would seem as though switching formats proved to be lucrative for the industry event, with statistics revealing that Gamescom 2020 managed to achieve “Over 100 million video views across all formats and channels, more than 50 million unique users from 180 countries, and 370 partners from 44 countries” – figures that would be nearly impossible in a live venue.

While it is likely that Gamescom will return to a physical venue in 2022, when COVID-19 is – hopefully – no longer a concern, it will be interesting to see whether the success of the digital show will affect future plans. Gamescom returns on the 23rd of August. The full press release can be found HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for Gamescom? What did you think of last year’s event? Should industry events remain digital even beyond 2021? Let us know down below.

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