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Gamescom 2020 “will definitely take place digitally”, organisers announce

"The nationwide ban on major events until the end of August will also affect the planning for Gamescom 2020"

Whether the physical Gamescom 2020 event will still take place in Germany later this year has been unclear, following recent news that large events will be prohibited in the country until August 31. However, the event’s organisers have now confirmed on Twitter that “Gamescom 2020 will definitely take place digitally”.

In the tweet, the annual videogame trade show’s organisers make clear that: “Even though not all details are known at present, the nationwide ban on major events until the end of August will also affect the planning for Gamescom 2020. Furthermore: Gamescom 2020 will definitely take place digitally!” The post adds: “We will provide further information shortly”.

It’s not clear at this stage what form the digital version of the show will take. For example, whether it’ll be a coordinated digital offering put together by the organisers or a series of individual showcases, similar to the format this year’s E3 convention will now take, following the Entertainment Software Association’s announcement that it “will not be presenting an online E3 2020 event in June”.

Gamescom’s planners had previously scheduled an announcement on the status of the event’s physical presence for “mid-May”, but given this new development, it seems likely we can expect news on what this year’s version of the trade show will be much sooner.

Gamescom’s website already has a section on its FAQs page about COVID-19 related questions, which explains visitor tickets will be refunded if the event is postponed or cancelled by the organisers.