Frederik Hammes, who stepped into the role of managing director of Gamescom Dev after Stephan Reichart earlier this year, points to the latest Gamescom Dev speaker survey as clear evidence that today’s most promising market segment is made up of smaller development studios. In his conversation with GamesIndustry.biz, Hammes explains that while a compact team can stretch its creative and technical capabilities further than ever before, the necessity of handling the business side of operations does not disappear. "Even if you’re a three‑person outfit, someone still has to manage contracts, finances, and the day‑to‑day administration," he says. "I like to think of Gamescom Dev as a one‑stop shop where indie creators can access everything they need—production expertise, programming know‑how, design insight, and creative feedback—while also picking up the essential skills for running a sustainable business.
No matter how advanced the technology gets, solid business fundamentals remain crucial." The event, which was renamed from Devcom to Gamescom Dev in August 2025, now essentially extends the main Gamescom festival into a full‑week experience. Hammes believes that aligning the two events offers considerable advantages for attendees and partners alike. "Being closer to Gamescom makes a lot of sense," he notes.
"We now have a powerful, well‑known partner on our side, which simplifies things for people who might not be familiar with the separate conferences we used to run. Previously there were two distinct ticketing systems, two sets of schedules, and little crossover.
Today it’s a single ticket portal that gives you access to everything—from the Monday‑through‑Friday Gamescom business week to the full slate of Gamescom Dev sessions." This year’s program features an impressive 390 speakers and 220 sessions spread across 17 stages. Hammes cautions, however, that success should not be measured purely by numbers.
"It isn’t a numbers game," he asserts. "We don’t aim for arbitrary targets; we respond to market demand. The trend is toward greater specialization, and we want to reflect that in the content we offer." One logistical challenge Hammes acknowledges is the capacity of the current venue, the Confex Center at Koelnmesse.
While the space comfortably accommodates the present scale of Gamescom Dev, it leaves little room for substantial growth. "Right now the venue limits how far we can expand," he explains.
"If the industry continues on its current trajectory—especially with the democratization of game development and the rise of micro‑studios—we may eventually need a larger footprint or a closer physical integration with Gamescom itself. At this stage, we’re not planning a massive expansion, but we are keeping an eye on future possibilities." Gamescom Dev originally launched in 2017 to fill the void left by the departure of GDC Europe. Although the San Francisco‑based Game Developers Conference (GDC) targets a similar audience and covers comparable topics, Hammes emphasizes that the two events coexist rather than compete. "We’re separate organizations, each with its own community," he says.
"The industry isn’t a zero‑sum game; when one conference thrives, it lifts the whole ecosystem. We’ve heard that GDC is currently dealing with some venue‑related challenges, and we hope those issues resolve quickly.
In the end, a healthy conference landscape benefits everyone." A noteworthy new feature for this edition is the introduction of Leadership Summits—single‑day gatherings designed for senior executives to converse in a press‑free, unrecorded environment. Hammes stresses the importance of providing a safe space for candid dialogue amid a turbulent market.
"These summits aren’t about listening to a keynote; they’re about speaking up and exchanging ideas," he explains. "When we opened the first summit, every participant raised their hand to admit they’d delivered bad news to their teams that year, and the same hands stayed up when asked if they’d received bad news themselves. It’s a stark reminder of how challenging the current climate is. Leaders often feel pressure to project confidence, but we want to encourage openness and honest discussion." The speaker survey also revealed a split opinion on artificial intelligence.
While 47 % of presenters believe AI will be the most transformative development for the industry over the next three years, only 11 % consider AI literacy the top skill developers need to acquire. "That discrepancy is telling," Hammes observes.
"It suggests we might be overestimating AI’s impact or under‑preparing for it. In reality, the data shows that leadership tops the list of essential skills, with 27 % of respondents naming it as the most critical.
This tells us that the industry recognizes change is coming, but it’s looking for people who can guide teams through that change—not just new tools or technologies." In summary, Hammes paints a picture of an industry in flux, where small studios are emerging as the primary engine of innovation, and where the ability to lead and manage effectively is becoming more valuable than any single technical skill. Gamescom Dev aims to support this evolution by offering a comprehensive platform that blends creative, technical, and business education, all within a unified event that now runs hand‑in‑hand with the larger Gamescom festival. As the sector continues to democratize and diversify, the conference will likely adapt its format and scale to meet the growing needs of developers worldwide.