COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Gamescom 2022, one of the world's largest annual gaming events, kicked off Tuesday night both online and on-site at the Koelnmesse exhibition center here.
This is the event's first in-person edition since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The six-day fair, which will run until Sunday, offers developer conferences, an Indie Arena Booth, e-sports, cosplay performances, gaming peripheral product sales and other activities.
"The time is finally here," Felix Falk, managing director of game at the German Games Industry Association, said in a press release. "After more than two years of the community and games industry meeting and interacting almost exclusively online, gamescom is bringing back that special festival feeling."
The organizers note that one of the event's highlights is that it is "more climate-friendly than ever before." The core event, with all areas for which Koelnmesse and the game association are responsible (including fair grounds infrastructure, theme areas, personnel, and mobility), is already climate-neutral, according to the organizers.
Chinese companies, such as Level Infinite (Tencent), Hoyoverse (miHoYo) and TikTok also participate in the fair.
This year, around 1,100 exhibitors from 53 countries and regions present their latest products and innovations. ■