Earlier today, Gamescom revealed a ton of new information about its upcoming 2021 event, which will be entirely virtual and take place on August 25 - 27. Alongside the details, the team behind the convention has confirmed it will boast a stacked roster of studios showing up to talk about their latest projects, with a new press release revealing some of the developers involved.
To be precise, 19 companies have been confirmed to be taking part in the event, with Microsoft, Activision, Ubisoft, and EA all making an appearance. They'll also be joined by a range of other big-named developers and publishers, including Bandai Namco, Bethesda, Koch Media, 505 Games, SEGA Europe, Team17, Aerosoft, and more.
There aren't too many details on what each company will be doing, although Gamescom confirms some of their titles will show up during the convention's various shows, including Geoff Keighley's Gamescom: Opening Night Live and Gamescom Studio. On top of that, there will also be "80 curated top indie titles" present during the event, with the games set to appear at virtual booths accessible via the convention's new "Indie Arena Booth Online" feature. According to Gamescom, it will announce the independent games included at the end of the month.
The statement also reveals the central theme of this year's Gamescom, claiming it's focused on "Games: The New Normal." It'll question the impact of games on current society and their importance in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, where connecting digitally has replaced face-to-face socializing. Gamescom specifically references two topics that will crop up: livestreaming and "more games for less money," which focuses on the trend towards more affordable gaming.
Finally, the team announces some of the convention's partners, with the list including Facebook, TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube as well as German esports platform Seven.One Entertainment Group. It's already shaping up to be a huge event and one fans should keep an eye on when it airs next month.
This will be the second year that Gamescom has run in an all-digital format, with the convention shifting to a virtual structure last year after the onset of the pandemic. However, this year's event wasn't always slated to be that way, with an announcement back in March stating it would be something of a hybrid event. The team suggested that fans could venture out to Gamescom in person, while online broadcasts would remain available for those who couldn't make the trip. This was later reverted, with Gamescom revealing in a statement that it had made the decision after extensive discussions with its partners and the companies involved.
Gamescom 2021 is set to take place between August 25 - August 27.
Source: Gamescom, Gamescom (2)