Nintendo is to make an appearance at Gamescom this year, marking the first time it’s exhibited at the show since 2019.
Gamescom has announced via Twitter that Nintendo will be exhibiting at this year’s show. The last time Nintendo attended Gamescom was way back in 2019.
Gamescom is the biggest games conference in the world in terms of the number of exhibitors and attendees, and is held every year at the Koelnmesse venue in Cologne, Germany. The show recorded its biggest ever attendance of more than 370,000 people in 2019, but went online only in 2020 and 2021 as a result of Covid restrictions. Gamescom returned in its live format in 2022, but attendance dipped to around 265,000, and Nintendo skipped the event in favour of exhibiting at smaller events across Germany.
However, the show looks set to be much bigger this time around: the organisers have already announced that 10% more companies have registered during the early bird phase than at the same time last year. Securing Nintendo as an exhibitor is a key development.
With the cancellation of E3 2023, there is the potential that Gamescom might become a more important showcase for game announcements. Geoff Keighley has already announced he will be returning to host Gamescom Opening Night Live on 22 August, the night before the show officially opens, which is often when big announcements are dropped.
Speculation is already rife about what Nintendo will be showing at Gamescom this year, with some hoping for new hardware announcements or the reveal of new games for the end of the year. However, historically these big reveals tend to be limited to Nintendo Direct livestreams, and it seems more likely that Nintendo will focus on showcasing existing games. Pikmin 4 is set to be released on 21st July, so there’s a good chance it will form a focus of Nintendo’s Gamescom stand.
