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 evidence that today’s most promising market segment consists of smaller development studios. In his conversation with GamesIndustry.biz, Hammes emphasizes that while compact teams can deliver impressive results, the need to manage the business side of operations does not disappear.
"Even a three‑person studio still has to assign someone to handle contracts, finances, and partnerships," he explains. "Gamescom Dev aims to be a one‑stop hub where creators can access production expertise, programming insights, artistic direction, and design guidance, while also learning the fundamentals of running a sustainable business. No matter how advanced the technology becomes, solid business acumen remains crucial." The event, originally known as Devcom, was rebranded to Gamescom Dev in August 2025, effectively extending the broader Gamescom experience into a full week of focused development content. Hammes believes that aligning the two conferences under a single banner brings clear advantages.
"We now have a powerful partner in Gamescom, which simplifies things for attendees. Previously there were two separate conferences, two ticketing systems, and little synergy between them.
Today there’s a single ticket portal that grants access to everything from Monday through Friday, allowing participants to move seamlessly between the development sessions and the main Gamescom exhibition." This year’s programme features 390 speakers and 220 sessions spread across 17 stages. Hammes cautions against treating the event as a pure numbers game.
"We don’t chase arbitrary speaker counts or session totals. It’s about matching supply with demand and delivering specialised content that meets the community’s evolving needs," he says. However, the growth of Gamescom Dev is constrained by its current venue, the Confex Center at Koelnmesse. While the space comfortably accommodates the existing schedule, Hammes notes that there is "limited room to expand".
Should the industry continue its rapid expansion, the organisers may need to consider moving closer to the main Gamescom site or finding a larger facility. "We’re not planning a massive scale‑up right now, because that would require a more substantial logistical shift. Yet if the trend toward smaller, more democratized studios persists, we’ll eventually need more capacity to serve that audience." Devcom 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 demographic and covers comparable topics, Hammes prefers to view the two events as complementary rather than competitive.
"There’s a genuine sense of community behind the scenes," he remarks. "Both conferences are run by separate organisations, each seeking profitability, but the atmosphere isn’t cut‑throat.
The industry functions like a global circus—people travel from one event to another, sharing knowledge and networking. If one conference thrives, it lifts the entire ecosystem." He also acknowledges the challenges currently facing GDC, noting that external factors have created a difficult operating environment for them. "We hope the situation improves for our colleagues at GDC, because a healthy conference landscape benefits everyone," Hammes adds.
A notable new feature on the Gamescom Dev agenda is the series of Leadership Summits. These one‑day gatherings provide senior industry figures with a private space—no press, no microphones, no recordings—to discuss the turbulent market conditions openly. Hammes stresses the importance of such safe environments: "It’s less about listening and more about speaking up and exchanging ideas. When we first held a summit, we asked attendees to raise their hands if they had delivered bad news that year; every hand went up.
The same response came when we asked about receiving bad news. The current climate is undeniably tricky, and leaders often feel pressured to project confidence. These summits let them drop that façade and discuss real challenges honestly." The speaker survey also revealed a split opinion on artificial intelligence. While 47 % of speakers believe AI will be the most transformative development for the industry over the next three years, only 11 % consider AI literacy the top skill to cultivate.
Hammes interprets this discrepancy as a signal that technical expertise alone won’t drive success. "The data suggests we’re either over‑estimating AI’s impact or under‑preparing for it," he says. "In reality, the most critical skill, according to 27 % of respondents, is leadership. This tells us that the industry recognizes change is coming, but it’s not looking for a technological silver bullet.
We need leaders who can guide teams through uncertainty, inspire adaptation, and chart a clear path forward." In summary, Frederik Hammes envisions Gamescom Dev as a collaborative platform that empowers small studios, equips them with both creative and business knowledge, and fosters a supportive network of industry leaders. By integrating the event more closely with Gamescom, simplifying ticketing, and introducing private leadership forums, the conference aims to stay relevant amid rapid technological shifts while keeping the focus on people‑centric skills that will shape the future of gaming.