It seems another event will be joining them as well, with Gamescom announcing that it too will still hold its yearly gathering in Germany later this year. This news will no doubt be a big relief to fans, especially as Gamescom is often regarded as one of the gaming calender’s biggest showcases and an incredibly popular platform for developers to show off their newest games.
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Issuing a statement to IGN, a representative of Koelnmesse, the venue and organizer behind Gamescom, claimed that “The consequences of the coronavirus, which is now occurring almost worldwide, also affect our Koelnmesse events. The health of all trade fair participants, customers and partners is paramount.” According to the representative, three events scheduled to take place at the venue have already been canceled as a result, with these being The International Hardware Fair, FIBO and IAW.
However, they go on to confirm that this shouldn’t affect other upcoming shows, including Gamescom, citing “with a view to all other trade fairs planned in Cologne, we are in constant contact with our customers. For each individual event, we will evaluate the recommendations of the Federal Government regarding major events and, as before, we will make our decisions after careful consideration. In this respect, preparations for our upcoming events in Cologne are continuing.” This is no doubt great news for Gamescom, showing that the event will likely still take place regardless of the spread of the coronavirus.
As many will no doubt know, the highly infectious nature of the illness has lead to a number of unpredictable side effects. These have included the aforementioned postponing of GDC, the cancellation of South Korean Overwatch League matches, and even causing the release date of the upcoming James Bond: No Time To Die to be delayed. While it’s no doubt disappointing that so many big events have been affected by the epidemic, fans should remember that its all for the safety of the events’ attendees, who will no doubt benefit in the long run.
Gamescom will take place on August 25 later this year.
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Source: IGN
