Gamescom opens under GTA VI shadow and job cuts

Gamescom is bringing the videogames industry to Cologne as studios face job cuts, intense competition and pressure from the coming release of Grand Theft Auto VI.

The trade show opened with a launch event focused on upcoming releases, including the latest Final Fantasy instalment. It opens to the industry on Wednesday and to the public on Thursday, running through Sunday. About 360,000 people attended last year's event.

Grand Theft Auto VI is not being shown at Gamescom, but its planned November 19 release is affecting rival publishers. Strauss Zelnick, chief executive of Rockstar parent Take-Two Interactive, said the game has had an “unprecedented and astonishing” number of pre-orders. Rhys Elliot of Alinea Analytics said some games could struggle because they are competing with major releases.

Another major topic is Sony's decision to discontinue video games on physical discs from 2028. Digital sales for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 made up nearly 82 percent of sales at the beginning of 2026. Some players fear the decline of discs could hurt the second-hand market and the preservation of gaming heritage.

Microsoft, marking the 25th anniversary of Xbox, will showcase more than 25 games, including “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4” and “Gears of War: E-Day.” The company said in June that “Gears of War” will be exclusive to Microsoft consoles, shifting from a strategy of putting major titles on several platforms.

The wider industry is still dealing with a slowdown after pandemic-era growth. Microsoft said in July it would cut 3,200 jobs in its gaming division by the end of June next year. Epic Games laid off 1,000 workers in March, while Sony's Bungie cut nearly 300 in June.

The ASGC Games Industry Layoffs Tracker says nearly 10,000 people have lost jobs in the sector this year and that layoffs are on course to reach 15,000, close to the 2024 record. The global video game market reached nearly $200 billion for the first time in 2025, but players' time is dominated by a small group of hit games such as “Roblox” and “Fortnite.”