Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, recently saw multiple equipment thefts plague the exhibition floor. One victim, solo horror game developer Ryan Laley of "Mimic," posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) stating his booth was ransacked between Thursday night and Friday morning, with all his laptops stolen. Other booths reportedly experienced similar incidents. As an indie developer, Laley bears the equipment costs and development work himself. He admitted the incident left him frustrated and heartbroken, temporarily halting his work.
Laley reported the incident to Gamescom venue management, security, and the police, but he's not optimistic about recovering the equipment, noting that thieves only took the laptops, leaving chargers behind. Following the news, CD Projekt Red, via the official "Cyberpunk 2077" account, publicly offered support. The developer stated they would "dig through Arasaka's hardware database" to see if they could send him some equipment, adding that "no choom should be forced to start from scratch."
However, as more victims came forward, the controversy escalated. Tessera Studios reported that their booth's storage locker was pried open, with two personal laptops and a Steam Deck stolen. iam8bit also confirmed that two display laptops were stolen overnight from their business area booth, despite the presence of Koelnmesse security.
In response to the criticism, Gamescom officials stated that uniformed security patrols are present on-site, but individual booths requiring dedicated security must book and pay for it separately. They also advised exhibitors to insure their equipment against theft, emphasizing that opportunistic theft is common at large events.
This statement immediately sparked backlash from the industry, with numerous developers, publishers, and streamers criticizing officials for seemingly shifting blame onto the victims, some even calling the response "completely unacceptable." Given that the event itself boasts 24/7 security measures, Gamescom's latest remarks not only failed to quell the controversy but also led more exhibiting teams to question whether they can safely leave expensive equipment at the venue in the future.
via： TheGamer