NRW @ gamescom 2026: International stage programme 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 stand
From 26 to 30 August 2026, Cologne will once again become the international hub of the games industry with gamescom. The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW will be presenting a varied programme of international talks, panels and the latest games from North Rhine-Westphalia at the ‘Welcome to NRW’ joint stand in Hall 04.1, A-061–B-070.
The event kicks off on Wednesday 26 August at 2.00 pm 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, Managing 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.
This will be followed by ‘GamesConnect AFRICA: Building the Continental Gaming Ecosystem’, which will present the Goethe-Institut’s initiative of the same name for sub-Saharan Africa. Further talks in English will focus on the games industry in the Brazilian state of São Paulo and the international development of Thailand as a games hub.
International collaborations and current industry topics
The programme on Thursday 27 August begins with the Womenize! panel discussion ‘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’, organised jointly with 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 US and Canadian games industries. Topics include supporting young talent, artificial intelligence, international career paths and the long-term effects of Canadian games funding.
In the afternoon, the focus shifts to current issues from North Rhine-Westphalia. GAME:IN will be discussing contemporary working culture with representatives from newbase, Neoludic Games and nerdstar. The talk ‘Game Over for Extremism?’ will draw on the RadiGaMe research project to show how games can be used to prevent extremism and promote democracy.
Soft Boiled Games will provide insights into the development of ‘MicroMacro: Downtown Detective’ and the adaptation of the successful board game concept for the smartphone. To round off the event, Natascha Wiedenfeld, streamer Felikah and narrative designer Ivonne Vaziri-Elahi will discuss creative visions, values and long-term community engagement in the session ‘Games with a Purpose: Why Identity Matters More Than the Next Trend’.
Games from NRW to try out
From 26 to 28 August, developers from North Rhine-Westphalia will be presenting their projects in the Gaming Area at the ‘Welcome to NRW’ stand. Among those taking part 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’.
Further 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 stand to discuss funding opportunities and North Rhine-Westphalia as a gaming hub.
NRW @ gamescom 2026
26–30 August 2026
Stage programme: 26 and 27 August
Gaming area at the NRW stand: 26 to 28 August
“Welcome to NRW” stand, Hall 04.1, A-061–B-070
Programme subject to change.