Overview
- Several exhibitors including indie developer Ryan Laley and publisher iam8bit said laptops and other devices were taken from booths, with Laley posting a tearful video saying the theft ended his show and police reports were filed.
- Reports from the business and indie halls placed incidents in Hall 4.1 and Hall 10.2 and described forced cabinets and missing devices that contained demo builds and personal or company data.
- Gamescom posted that cases have been reported to police, said uniformed guards provide general venue security, and recommended that exhibitors purchase individual stand security and insure equipment.
- The games community and companies responded quickly with aid and donations, including IndieGameJoe funding replacement hardware for Laley and CD Projekt offering to send equipment.
- The thefts have revived criticism of Gamescom security and prior vetting failures reported in 2025, and investigators in Cologne are continuing inquiries with no public recoveries announced.