Indie devs and publishers hit in Gamescom equipment thefts

What the report says

Bryant Francis,Senior Editor,GameDeveloper.comAugust 31, 20262 Min ReadImage via GamescomA number of independent developers and publishers suffered a frustrating end to their Gamescom trips last week after arriving to the show floor on Friday and discovering thieves had stolen a number of locked-up laptops and Steam Decks from their booths. Now show organizers are facing questions from developers asking if the event did enough to prevent security breaches.Word of the thefts began spreading after Mimic developer Ryan Laley posted a video on X stating that his and others' laptops had been stolen from Gamescom's business area the night before.

Publisher and event organizer iam8bit also reported its hardware was stolen from the same area. Meanwhile, developer Tessera Studios reported that two laptops and a Steam Deck were stolen from their booth in the Indie Arena (hosted in a separate region of Gamescom convention hall Koelnmesse). They said the laptops contained "personal, company, and critical information."The game industry responded to these thefts with words and offerings of support for the affected developers—and a slew of questions for Gamescom management. Cyberpunk 2 and The Witcher 4 developer CD Projekt Red responded to Laley with an offer of new hardware to replace his stolen gear, and Games From Spain swooped in to help the Tessera Studios team continue showcasing their game.On Saturday, Gamescom's organizers posted a statement on X following "many requests" for information about the thefts, where it described its general security practices and expressed sadness for the impacted independent developers.

"Uniformed guards provide general security across the venue. Individual stand security can be booked separately, and exhibitors are advised to insure equipment against theft," the organizers wrote. "This is noted in the terms and conditions of participation and the technical guidelines."Industry professionals expressed frustration over this response, with some saying that this isn't the first year developers have been robbed at the event. Australian publisher Ukiyo Studios did not report any equipment stolen this year, but posted that they had been "blocked" from filing a police report by Gamescom organizers after a PC was stolen from its booth in 2024.

Key details

The publisher said they had been told that such a report could make the event and city of Cologne "look bad."It does appear that event organizers are keeping in touch with impacted developers, as Laley has posted that he "had the pleasure" of speaking with one of Gamescom's directors on Sunday. In its statement, the event did stress that security is one of organizers' "highest priorities," and that its measures are designed to minimize the risks of "individuals attempting to take advantage of the situation" surrounding security at an event of this size.Top StoriesGamescomAbout the AuthorBryant FrancisSenior Editor, GameDeveloper.comBryant Francis is a writer, journalist, and narrative designer based in Boston, MA.

He currently writes for Game Developer, a leading B2B publication for the video game industry. His credits include Proxy Studios' 4X strategy game Zephon, Iron Anchor Studios' Down With The Ship, and Amplitude Studio's 2017 game Endless Space 2.See more from Bryant Francis