adminGamescom Latam attendance climbed to 154,000 visitors in 2026, highlighting the event’s growing reach among players and games industry professionals. The third edition also brought together international exhibitors, developers and business representatives, offering a snapshot of Brazil’s expanding role in the global games market.
Gamescom Latam attendance and event highlights
Held from April 29 to May 3 at Distrito Anhembi in São Paulo, the 2026 event welcomed 17.5% more visitors than in 2025, when attendance reached 130,000. That figure was itself 30% higher than the first edition in 2024.
More than 400 games were showcased, including over 60 new releases. Titles on the programme included Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Invincible VS and Phantom Blade Zero. The event also featured 175 exhibitors from 23 countries and more than 500 speakers.
Among the speakers were PUBG creator Brendan Greene, former Rare composer David Wise and Control Resonant creative director Mikael Kasurinen. For visitors planning a busy show schedule, checking the programme in advance can help make it easier to prioritise game demonstrations, talks and meetings.
Fans queue to meet David Wise at Gamescom Latam.
BIG Festival Awards and business activity
The BIG Festival Awards received more than 960 submissions from 75 countries. Brazil accounted for 451 entries. The jury selected 81 finalists across 18 categories, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 taking the Best Game award.
The business area hosted 1,100 companies from 59 countries. Participants held more than 13,000 business meetings, a 46% increase on the previous year, and the event generated an estimated $180 million in new business. For studios attending future editions, these figures underline the value of preparing clear project materials and identifying potential partners before the event.
Gamescom Latam partner and head of B2B Eliana Russi described Brazil as a leading games industry hub in the Global South and a significant consumer market. She said the event aims to connect investors, buyers, publishers, accelerators and studios. Brazil has more than 1,000 game development studios distributed across its regions.
Invincible VS was among the games shown at the event.
Brazil’s games industry: services and original games
Rodrigo Terra, head of the Brazilian game developers’ association Abragames, and Patricia Sato, executive manager for Brasil Games, discussed the sector’s opportunities and challenges. Brasil Games is an export programme focused on creating international business opportunities for Brazilian companies.
Terra put the Brazilian games workforce at more than 13,000 people, a scale similar to France’s games industry. He noted that studios often begin with external development or outsourcing work. These contracts can provide short-term revenue while teams build the capacity to develop their own intellectual property, a longer-term ambition for many studios.
Sato said Brazil has become a recognised destination for external development, particularly after the pandemic increased demand for production support. Terra noted that development costs in Brazil are higher than in countries such as India and China, but can be lower than in the United States, the United Kingdom and France. He also observed that Brazilian studios are increasingly entrusted with larger portions of game production.
Alongside service work, local companies are drawing more interest for original games. Terra said international companies including PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo are looking beyond services and asking to see new game projects. For studios seeking international partners, presenting both production capabilities and original concepts may help communicate the range of work they can offer.
The Nintendo booth at Gamescom Latam.
What could support Brazil’s games sector?
Terra said that expanding public funding opportunities and raising awareness of Brazil as an investment destination are important priorities. Abragames is advocating for a 12% rebate on employees’ taxes. Brazil also offers some tax incentives for arts and culture projects through the Rouanet Law.
Russi likewise highlighted the importance of tax incentives and external investment, while pointing to the country’s industry association, public policy framework and events as existing parts of the ecosystem. For companies assessing the market, funding conditions, local partnerships and access to skilled studios are practical factors to examine alongside production costs.
What Gamescom Latam attendance means for the industry
The increase in Gamescom Latam attendance, combined with higher business-meeting numbers and the estimated $180 million in new business, reflects the event’s growing importance to the games industry. The figures also show Brazil’s potential as both a consumer market and a base for development services and original games. Continued investment, stronger funding options and international partnerships will be important to the sector’s future growth.
