With over 1000 guests, the world’s leading congress on the potential of games was bigger than ever before +++ 180 international experts presented how games promote social and technological progress +++ New perspectives on the topics of immersion, well-being, and responsibility
The gamescom congress stood out with its appeal far beyond the gaming industry and is unique worldwide in its scale. Using current practical examples, the congress demonstrated how education, culture, business, science, and society can benefit from the gaming industry. This year, the focus was on the topics “Games and Well-Being,” “The Next Level of Immersion,” and “Games and Responsibility.”
With over 180 experts from business, science, politics, and media, the gamescom congress 2025 offered a diverse program with fascinating talks and panel discussions on the role of games across the entire social spectrum. Renowned personalities such as David Helgason, Y-Lan Boureau, Celia Hodent, Jukka Laakso, and many others revealed the diverse potential of computer and video games in a wide variety of areas. These range from serving as technological and economic drivers, to educating people about migration and democracy, enhancing well-being, and promoting environmental and climate protection. In order for Germany to benefit even more from the potential of computer and video games and to take a leading position internationally as a gaming location, the federal and state governments must work closely together in the future. The necessary steps were debated in the panel discussion “Get ready, get set, go! How Germany wants to compete at the top worldwide” by NRW Media Minister Nathanael Liminski (CDU), Member of the Bundestag Joachim Ebmeyer (CDU), State Secretary in the State Chancellery of Rhineland-Palatinate Heike Raab (SPD) and Managing Director of Ubisoft Blue Byte Benedikt Grindel.
“Games are perfect entertainment, and it is precisely thanks to this unique power that they also have a positive impact in numerous other areas – whether in political education, medicine, industry, or science. With record participation among speakers and visitors, as well as numerous high-profile lectures and panels, the gamescom congress once again impressively highlighted the strength of games with international appeal,” says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – the German Games Industry Association, co-organizer of the gamescom congress.
“The gamescom congress definitely demonstrated how diverse and socially relevant the debates surrounding games are. It brings together players from a wide variety of fields and makes Cologne an international meeting place for forward-looking ideas in computer and video games. The congress has once again proven its role as a bridge between industry, business, and society,” says Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH.
The gamescom congress 2025 would like to thank its partners: the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the City of Cologne, Games Syndicate Cologne e.V., Deutsche Gesellschaft für Spielwissenschaft, Deutscher Kulturrat, esports player foundation, Playing for the Planet, Google, GMK, Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur, Unicef, USK and Videogames Europe, as well as Curatomic, Nerdstar, Netcologne and fischerAppelt. Special thanks also go to our media partners t3n and Business Punk.
The VOD for this year’s gamescom congress can be found here.
About gamescom congress
gamescom congress is the world’s leading conference on the potential of computer games in a digitalized world and offers interfaces far beyond the digital and media industry. International speakers present their topics in lectures, seminars and panel discussions. The gamescom congress takes place annually as part of gamescom in Cologne and is organized by Koelnmesse GmbH and game, the association of the German games industry. The gamescom congress is sponsored by the state of North Rhine Westphalia. https://congress.gamescom.
