NRW @gamescom 2026: International Stage Program and the Latest Games from NRW
NRW Reception with Nathanael Liminski and Walid Nakschbandi – Talks on international markets, career paths, and gaming culture – Eight playable projects at the NRW booth
From August 26 to 30, 2026, Cologne will once again become the international hub of the games industry with gamescom. The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW will present a diverse program featuring international talks, panels, and the latest games from North Rhine-Westphalia at the “Welcome to NRW” joint booth in Hall 04.1, A-061–B-070.
The event kicks off on Wednesday, August 26, at 2:00 p.m. with the NRW reception. Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs, and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Walid Nakschbandi, Executive Director of the Film and Media Foundation NRW, will welcome the guests. Together with representatives from Africa, Brazil, and Thailand, the reception will focus on international markets and opportunities for cooperation.
Following that, “GamesConnect AFRICA: Building the Continental Gaming Ecosystem” will present the Goethe-Institut Sub-Saharan Africa’s initiative of the same name. Additional English-language talks will focus on the gaming industry in the Brazilian state of São Paulo and the international development of Thailand as a gaming hub.
International Collaborations and Current Industry Topics
The program on Thursday, August 27, begins with the Womenize! panel “What’s Next? Building Resilient Careers in Games.” Ruth Lemmen, Isabel Grünberg, Hanna Steinhauer, and Lorena Müller will discuss career paths, transferable skills, and the importance of professional networks in a changing industry.
The talk “The Amusement – A French-German VR Co-Production,” co-hosted by the Institut français and the Creative Europe Desk NRW, will then focus on the opportunities for Franco-German collaboration.
Under the title “Crossing the Atlantic,” two panels will follow, focusing on the U.S. and Canadian gaming industries. Topics include supporting young talent, artificial intelligence, international career paths, and the long-term effects of Canadian gaming funding.
In the afternoon, the focus shifts to current topics from North Rhine-Westphalia. GAME:IN will discuss contemporary work culture with representatives from newbase, Neoludic Games, and nerdstar. The talk “Game Over for Extremism?” draws on the RadiGaMe research project to demonstrate how games can be used for extremism prevention and democracy-building.
Soft Boiled Games will provide insights into the development of “MicroMacro: Downtown Detective” and the adaptation of the successful board game concept for smartphones. To wrap things up, Natascha Wiedenfeld, streamer Felikah, and narrative designer Ivonne Vaziri-Elahi will discuss creative visions, values, and long-term community engagement in “Games with a Purpose: Why Identity Matters More Than the Next Trend.”
Games from NRW to Try Out
From August 26 to 28, developers from North Rhine-Westphalia will present their projects in the Gaming Area at the “Welcome to NRW” booth. Participating are Laserbread with “Bellfrost,” Soft Boiled Games with “MicroMacro: Downtown Detective,” Zartbitter Games with “Kerogen,” 314 Arts with “Night Runner,” and Papercoda Games with “Media Circus.” Students from the Cologne Game Lab will also be presenting “Magiya,” “Meso,” and “Poison is Served.”
Other games from NRW, including “Nether Spirits,” “Detective of the Dead,” “Shallow Pond,” and “Dawn of Defense,” will be available to play throughout gamescom at the Indie Arena Booth in the Consumer Area.
During the event, staff from the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW will be available at the joint booth to discuss funding opportunities and North Rhine-Westphalia as a hub for the gaming industry.
NRW @gamescom 2026
August 26–30, 2026
Stage program: August 26 and 27
Gaming Area at the NRW booth: August 26–28
“Welcome to NRW” booth, Hall 04.1, A-061–B-070
The complete program: Film- und Medienstiftung NRW
Program subject to change.