Both important side events of gamescom, the devcom on Monday and Tuesday and the congress on Thursday, have broken their attendance record.

This year’s gamescom has already broken some record before it started, and side events are no exception. Both the former devcom, now gamescom dev, and the gamescom congress have released their numbers and can call themselves the biggest interation of their concept so far, breaking several records.

Six Percent More People at Last devcom

The devcom developer conference came to an end with 5,400 registered attendees attending the conference, representing over 2,500 companies from 89 countries. The number marks a sixth percent growth of attendees from last year. On the expo floor, 53 exhibitors showcased their projects and services. The 2025 devcom featured 390 speakers, 30 more than last year, across 220 sessions on 17 stages.From October onward, devcom will be called gamescom dev.

“When we started devcom back in 2017, our goal was to create a home for all developers. Since then, this conference has grown into a truly global hub for knowledge sharing, inspiration, and connection in our industry,” said Stephan Reichart, Managing Director of game events GmbH. “Closing this chapter with a record attendance and opening a new one as gamescom dev marks another step in that journey. It’s proof how much the event and its community have evolved and how strong the foundation is for what’s to come.”

Biggest Congress Occupies Confex

With over 1,000 guests, the political, academical and cultural conference on gamescom Thursday was as big as never before. On nine stages, 180 international experts presented how games promote social and technological progress.

"Games are perfect entertainment, and it is precisely thanks to this unique power that they also have a positive impact in numerous other areas – whether in political education, medicine, industry, or science. With record participation among speakers and visitors, as well as numerous high-profile lectures and panels, the gamescom congress once again impressively highlighted the strength of games with international appeal," said Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – the German Games Industry Association, co-organizer of the gamescom congress.

"The gamescom congress emphatically demonstrated how diverse and socially relevant the debates surrounding games are. It brings together players from a wide variety of fields and makes Cologne an international meeting place for forward-looking ideas in computer and video games. The congress thus once again underlined its role as a bridge between the industry, business, and society," said Gerald Böse, Chairman of the Management Board of Koelnmesse.

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Pascal Wagner
Pascal Wagner is Chief of Relations of GamesMarket and Senior Editor specialised in indie studios, politics, funding and academic coverage.
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