Artikel / Blog

The German Emperor Wilhelm II once said that the car was merely a passing fad. And following the video game crash of 1983, respected economic analysts believed they had witnessed the end of this fad. They were wrong. Every single one of them. And those who were prematurely written off are now happily joining forces. A recent example from GamesCom 2026: the debut of the Mercedes-Benz 190 E Evo II in Fortnite and Rocket League.

As early as 1938, the Dutch cultural historian Johan Huizinga argued that play is a fundamental element of our culture – and that human beings are playful creatures. Nowhere is it more evident that this is truer than ever almost a century later than at Gamescom, the world’s largest gaming trade fair. It begins on 26 August. We’re giving you a sneak preview of what visitors to Cologne can look forward to.