Originally launched in 2017, devcom is the official video game developer event within gamescom – the world’s largest computer and video games event – and Europe’s annual ‘must-attend’ developer conference. Initially established as a five-day showcase that includes a series of events, devcom is now a full-year experience, which focuses on video game development, video game publishing, networking and community-building. At the beginning of 2019, the event was reorganized by the newly founded devcom GmbH, a subsidiary of game – the German Games Industry Association. devcom soon became a huge success and attracted more than 3,000 participants from the international developer scene in 2019. Attendees were able to enjoy top-notch talks and panel discussions, round tables, workshops and in-depth masterclasses delivered by more than 140 video games industry professionals.

First devcom digital conference

In 2020, the first-ever devcom digital conference managed to unite the video games industry again, regardless of the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. With a conference programme spanning over two weeks and supported by daily Twitch shows, #ddc2020 was one of the most accessible and international devcoms ever. The devcom digital conference 2020 set a new record with over 2,200 attendees at the core conference event, which included 94 talks and panel discussions. The event also offered countless valuable networking opportunities. In total, more than 1,000 companies supported the event by either exhibiting their products or participating in matchmaking activities. As the official B2B partner of gamescom, devcom offered companies many business development opportunities. More than 2,700 business appointments took place through 1-on-1 meetings, random networking and speed video game dating. devcom Pitch it! was also very popular, with more than 400 meetings between 113 developers and 48 publishers. In addition to the devcom digital conference 2020, the devcom Twitch Show, which is part of the devcom 365 programme, featured interviews, indie video game presentations and other talks. In total, 450,000 unique visitors watched over 100 hours of streaming which featured more than 100 guests.

Making devcom a 365-day experience

During 2020, the idea was also born to turn the conference concept into a 365-day experience and make devcom a hub which would enable the global video game developer community to come together throughout the whole year. For this reason, the devcom team has started producing original content with live shows on Twitch, podcasts on audio platforms and community channels on Discord. The launch of devcom 365 has opened a new era of digital education, information sharing and communication for video game developers and all other participants in the video games industry. In addition, online masterclasses and digital summits on specific topics will further expand the original conference concept.

In 2021, devcom is continuing to serve as gamescom’s official B2B partner. Starting on Monday 23 August it will, among other things, significantly expand its matchmaking and pitching offerings, such as the ‘Indies meet Investors and Publishers’ format, devcom Pitch it! and special matchmaking and pitching events with devcom’s international country pavilions and community booths. Also taking place is the devcom daily Twitch show with its live content from August 23-27 with by now more than 3+ Million views. Another new feature is that devcom will have a clear focus on content and the extensive conference programme during the first two days, while Wednesday to Friday will be dedicated to business, networking and the popular devcom digital expo. All information on the devcom Developer Conference #ddc2021 will be regularly updated and is available on the devcom website