Gamescom 2020 still going ahead despite Coronavirus response measures

Gamescom, the annual gaming expo, is still scheduled to take place this year according to its organisers.

The show, which takes place in Cologne, Germany, falls outside the timezone of current restrictions placed on the city. The announcement has come despite the ongoing spread of the Coronavirus disease across most of Europe and the rest of the world. 

In a new statement posted on Twitter today, the official Gamescom account said that the event is "currently not affected" by Germany's ban on major events of over 1000 participants, which is set to last until the end of April. You can read the full update below:

Gamescom 2020 takes place in August, though its organisers stress that "the health of all trade fair visitors and partners is our top priority", and will continue to monitor the situation on a day-to-day basis. 

Last year's Gamescom expo saw almost 600,000 visitors in attendance, making it one of the most popular gaming events of the industry. With E3 2020 cancelled amongst a number of other trade and e-sports events over the summer, the prospects for this year's Gamescom aren't looking good. 

Still, this latest update stresses that the show hasn't been cancelled just yet. The show's organisers are also promising that full refunds will be issued to ticket-buyers should the decision eventually be made to shut it down. We'll keep you updated as soon as we hear anything more. 

Despite E3 not taking place, there's still plenty to get excited about this year. Here are the best upcoming games of 2020 and beyond, or watch the video below for our latest episode of Dialogue Options.