Gamescom Responds To Rampant Reports Of Theft At The Event

Gamescom provided a disheartening public response to indie devs' reports of stolen equipment

Theft has become a major problem at Gamescom 2026, with at least three indie studios speaking out about the equipment stolen from their event booths. The organization behind the event has acknowledged this matter in an underwhelming X post that did not indicate it would provide indie exhibitors with any compensation.

Gamescom 2026 has an equipment theft problem

Reports of theft first emerged when Mimic solo developer Ryan Laley reported that their laptop and other equipment in the expo area near him were stolen. According to Ryan Laley's video explaining the ordeal, the hardware was snatched overnight from an area that is supposed to have restricted access overnight and be monitored by the security team at all times.

In the same raid, Tessera Studios, which was showcasing the game The Zibbo Show, lost personal computers, two laptops, and a Steam Deck, allcontaining game demos and confidential company information. Additionally, two computers were stolen from indie game publisher iam8bit Presents' booth, risking leaks of its games, Petal Runner and Escape Academy 2.

Ukiyo Studios then chimed in to recall that one of its laptops was taken from a Gamescom booth two years ago. It claims that when it tried to report the theft, event personnel attempted to stop Ukiyo so it wouldn't taint Gamescom and the city of Cologne's public image. Furthermore, Ukiyo says that despite attending dozens of events every year, Gamescom is the only one where it makes sure to lock up the equipment overnight due to inadequate security measures.

In the comment section of these posts, it's clear that the gaming community can be tight-knit and provide a helping hand. IndieGameJoe donated money so Mimic's developer could replace the stolen equipment. Unfortunately, the official Gamescom account did little more than express how happy it was that the devs were getting the support they needed and that it had reported the issue to the authorities.

Gamescom's responses to these repeated claims of theft are disappointing. Pointing out that individual booth security can be booked in advance and that exhibitors should insure all of their equipment seems like a way for Gamescom to avoid taking responsibility for the event's weak security.

Even though some of the equipment has been replaced, many developers who spent money to present their work at Gamescom now have to track down or replace stolen equipment and will fear that the pre-release builds of their game present on the stolen hardware may leak. Hopefully, Gamescom will increase its security teams in the future to prevent this from happening again, but its statement on the matter didn't do enough to inspire confidence.