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 the greatest market potential currently lies with smaller development studios. "You can accomplish a lot with a compact team, but the commercial side never disappears," he explained to GamesIndustry.biz.
"Even if your studio consists of just three people, someone still has to manage contracts, finances, and other business duties. I like to think of Gamescom Dev as a one‑stop hub where creators can access everything they need—production techniques, programming expertise, creative direction, design insights, and also practical guidance on running a business. No matter how advanced the technology becomes, solid business fundamentals remain crucial." The event, which was renamed from Devcom to Gamescom Dev in August 2025, now effectively extends the main Gamescom festivities into a full week of industry programming.
Hammes believes the rebranding creates a stronger link between the two gatherings. "There are compelling reasons to bring Gamescom Dev closer to Gamescom," he said. "We now have a powerful partner behind us, and that brings many benefits. For attendees, it simplifies matters: previously there were two separate conferences, two ticketing systems, and little cohesion.
Today everything is consolidated under a single ticket portal, giving participants access to the entire schedule from Monday through Friday. If you purchase a pass, you can attend both the business week and the main Gamescom exhibition without juggling multiple tickets." This edition of Gamescom Dev features an impressive lineup of 390 speakers delivering 220 sessions across 17 stages. Yet Hammes cautions that success shouldn't be measured purely by numbers.
"It’s not a numbers game," he remarked. "We don’t aim to hit arbitrary attendance targets. The market is naturally balancing supply and demand, and we’re seeing a trend toward greater specialization." One practical limitation, however, is the venue itself.
The conference is housed in the Confex Center at Koelnmesse, which currently accommodates the event but leaves little room for expansion. Hammes acknowledges that if the gaming sector continues its rapid growth, the show may eventually need a larger footprint or a tighter physical integration with Gamescom. "At the moment we’re not planning a massive scale‑up because that would require a more substantial move closer to Gamescom, which is a possibility we’re keeping under review," he explained.
"If the democratization of game development continues—more indie teams, more accessible tools—we’ll eventually need more space to serve everyone." Gamescom Dev traces its origins back to 2017, when it was launched to fill the void left by the departure of GDC Europe. While the San‑Francisco‑based Game Developers Conference targets a similar audience and covers comparable topics, Hammes emphasizes that the two events coexist rather than compete. "We’re separate organizations," he said.
"Everyone wants to be profitable, but the atmosphere isn’t cut‑throat. The industry is like a global circus—in a positive sense—where professionals travel from one conference to another. It isn’t about eliminating rivals; it’s about all of us thriving together. Our colleagues at GDC are currently facing challenges beyond their control, and I hope the situation improves for them.
When one conference does well, it reflects well on the whole sector." A fresh addition to this year’s programme is the Leadership Summit series. These one‑day, invitation‑only gatherings provide senior executives a private environment—no press, no microphones, no recordings—to discuss the turbulent state of the market.
Hammes stresses the importance of such a “safe space” for candid dialogue. "It’s less about listening and more about speaking up and exchanging ideas," he noted.
"When we launched the summit, we asked participants to raise their hands if they had delivered bad news in the past year. Every hand went up.
We then asked who had heard bad news about their own company—again, everyone raised their hand. The environment is undeniably tricky right now. Leaders often feel pressured to project confidence, but we need a forum where they can be honest about challenges without fearing reputational damage." 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 developers need to acquire. "How do we reconcile that?
It could mean we overestimate AI’s impact or we’re under‑preparing for it," Hammes reflected. "My conclusion is that neither is true. When you ask what skill truly matters, 27 % point to leadership as the most critical. That tells us we recognize change is coming, but we’re not looking for a technological silver bullet.
We’re looking for people—leaders—who can guide teams through uncertainty, set a clear vision, and help everyone adapt." In summary, Hammes envisions a future where small studios drive innovation, where Gamescom Dev serves as an integrated knowledge hub, and where industry leaders prioritize people‑centric skills over purely technical ones. The event’s evolution—both in scope and format—aims to support this vision, offering a platform that blends creative inspiration with pragmatic business education, all while fostering a collaborative spirit across the global gaming community.