After Two Years Of Being Online, Gamescom 2022 Will Be Held Hybrid In Germany

Gamescom holds a hybrid game trade show in Cologne, Germany (Photo: Gamescom IGN)

JAKARTA - Gamescom has become an all-digital event due to the COVID-19 restrictions for the past two years. This year, the public will see Europe's largest gaming trade show held in a hybrid way. As well as being held at the usual Cologne location in Germany, it can also be viewed online.

As is tradition, the Gamescom Opening Night Live livestream will kick off the event on August 23. This will be followed by four days of access for the public, trade visitors, journalists and content creators that will end on August 28.

Security, digital queuing management, limited ticket sales and wider aisles in the hall have been regulated according to the standard hygiene and safety protocols used by the venue.

According to GameSpot, for those who will attend online, interactive search will return to the Gamescom Now site, with this activity unlocking prizes from certain exhibitors.

Gamescom 2021 originally wanted to be held as a hybrid event, but a surge in coronavirus cases in Europe last year forced organizers to adopt a digital-only approach.

This year's event also aims to offset all the emissions generated by the running of the show by creating a climate-friendly game show.

This will be done through the use of free public transit tickets while raising money for the Gamescom Forest reforestation project.

On the other side of the world, this year's E3 will be digital-only again due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19. Previous E3 events have seen gaming conventions operate in a more reduced capacity, offering independent press conferences from several different publishers, a week of live streaming content, and a web portal that doesn't have much content to explore.