Gamescom 2020 Will Happen, But It Could Be Digital

E3 2020 has already been canceled, but Gamescom 2020 may still survive. The event's organizers are still planning to hold it this August, though it could be a digital-only event in order to avoid exposing attendees to coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

In a joint statement to Gamesindustry.biz, German industry association game and Gamescom venue Koelnmesse said it's possible there still could be an in-person event. Gamescom will be held as a digital event from August 25 to 29 at the bare minimum, and the organizers will make a decision in May to determine if it will take place in its normal home of Cologne, Germany. Regardless, they're preparing to expand digital coverage to reach more viewers.

"If an on-site event is possible, there will also be more information at that stage with regard to which changes need to be made in order to fully ensure the health of all visitors," the organizers added.

Gamescom is typically the second stage of summer game announcements, with publishers saving a few big games for their press conferences in August instead of E3.

Gamescom sees far more in-person attendees each year than E3, the latter of which was previously planned for June. Though E3 2020 itself was canceled, several publishers such as Ubisoft, Square Enix, and Microsoft are preparing their own digital press-conference-like events to deliver game announcements and news.

E3 2021 is also not expected to be affected by this year's cancellation, though the list of participants has shrunk recently. Large publishers such as Electronic Arts and Sony were already planning to skip E3 2020 before it was canceled.