The gamescom 2025 has ended and has set its focus this year quite differently than usual. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was there – and is pleased with the change. Video games are still the topic, but with a different approach, a better one, as he finds.
From August 19 to 24, 2025, this year’s gamescom took place and broke some records: According to the official website, more exhibitors from abroad were present than ever before, and the digital reach also reached a peak.
During the Opening Night Live, most of the new games and content were presented, and our FYNG show and other showcases continued in the following days. Dozens of new titles were showcased, with updates for many service games.
However, what was missing were big blockbusters. “AAA Gaming” was almost absent. The biggest productions in the shows were probably the new Call of Duty, the new WoW expansion, and maybe the sequel to Black Myth: Wukong – although even that is technically indie.
With the announcement of the second season of the Fallout series, there was then an outlier from gaming that targets a broader audience. Otherwise, there was hardly anything pushing to appeal to the masses. For me, a reason for joy.
Completely wild: A Nice Day for Fishing crashed the FYNG show and was one of the highlights:
Something for everyone, but little for all
Across the entire gamescom, the big titles were rather scarce. In halls 7 and 8, there were huge setups and booths from international exhibitors and major studios, but the really interesting announcements came from elsewhere.
Instead, AA productions and indie titles made their way into the presentation. Even the German indie survival game Enshrouded had a slot in the ONL with its new update.
The selection of games alone in the big showcase was incredibly diverse. With Dawn of War 4, the game I’ve been waiting for forever, even a real-time strategy game made it into the show. This genre has been considered dead for years.
Nearly everything is a highlight if you’re into it
Even during our preparation, I noticed: Almost everything that I or my colleagues will look at are games we’re excited about. Not just a little bit, but really, with hype and all.
At the gamescom itself, the feeling was confirmed. I personally had only two appointments where I wasn’t completely thrilled, but even those were still cool – from the perspective of someone who is into that kind of thing.
Still, I could easily say that almost every game I looked at was a highlight:
- As a Warhammer fan, I had three games with me. Besides Dawn of War, I was thrilled by the new role-playing game Dark Heresy and the surprising presentation of Mechanicus 2.
- With Vikings Dynasty and Band of Crusaders, I found games that perfectly match my interests, and I’m really looking forward to them.
- In the Indie Arena, I surprisingly made an interesting find with Soulblaze: a roguelite that combines Pokémon with Slay the Spire.
- The absolute surprise was Fata Deum, a game like Black & White, which awakened a nostalgia in me that I didn’t know was there.
The “biggest” game on my list was probably The Blood of Dawnwalker, a vampire game from former Witcher developers. Here I see the most potential for the role-playing game to appeal to a broader audience. Everything else was niche productions, and that’s what makes gamescom 2025 so grand.
On our stage, we had many exciting guests for interviews:
A development I wish for the future
Where I must agree is the number of people in the consumer halls. Anyone wanting to play something has to wait several hours in line. That’s not exactly why you go to gamescom. But even here, the Indie Arena had heaps of great games to choose from, and they were almost consistently free.
Gamers have been criticizing for years that major studios are only out for money and develop only for the masses, sacrificing quality. It’s no longer about making good games, but only about monetizing them.
The gamescom 2025 is the stark counterpoint to this development.
Instead of presenting huge titles that are supposed to attract millions of players, many smaller and medium-sized studios showcased their works, with games they create for “their” fans. Games they love and want to play themselves.
This dedication and passion are what I miss in AAA gaming and what led me over 10 years ago to focus more on indie games and AA productions. If gamescom 2025 is a kickoff for game development going more in this direction in the future, I am more than satisfied and look forward to next year.
Another point I noticed at gamescom 2025: Compared to previous years, there was significantly less influencer drama. From the looks of it, there was even explicit attention to it: Three years ago, MontanaBlack owned the gamescom, now he says he received a rejection
