Nintendo will not attend the Gamescom 2024 event scheduled to begin on August 21 in Cologne, Germany this year. The company has informed some media outlets that its decision to skip the largest gaming event comes after “careful consideration.”
Gamescom is Europe’s biggest annual gaming expo. It is set to begin on August 21 and end on August 25 this year. Many game developers globally use this event as a platform to exhibit their upcoming games or gaming hardware.
A Nintendo spokesperson informed a German gaming news outlet that the Kyoto-based company won’t participate in the Gamescom 2024 event. Talking about Nintendo’s plan to skip the event with the German news outlet Games Wirtschaft, a company representative said that every year the company evaluates whether or not it should attend the Gamescom event.
And, this time around, after considering all the perspectives, the gaming giant has decided not to attend the Gamescom 2024 event. The company representative also mentioned that players can try out Nintendo Switch games at other gaming events throughout the year.
Nintendo’s decision to skip the Gamescom 2024 event makes sense
The news comes as a surprise since Nintendo has always participated in Europe’s biggest gaming event. However, the decision of Nintendo not to attend the Gamescom 2024 event somewhat makes sense. Notably, the first reason for this could be declining first-party support for games on the Nintendo Switch.
Another possible reason behind skipping Gamescom 2024 could be the late launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, the company’s next big hardware release. Rumors suggest that the company’s next handheld console might launch in 2025.
In short, that means there won’t be any official announcement regarding the same before or during the Gamescom 2024 event. Moreover, this could also mean that the company might not announce the Nintendo Switch 2 at the Summer Game Fest, a new global digital gaming event that will begin on June 7, 2024.
All that said, Nintendo’s decision to skip Gamescom 2024 could see a decline in the number of attendees for the event. Not to forget, many tournaments and competitions took place at a large show stage set by Nintendo at Gamescom 2023. It also set up multiple gaming stations, photos, and selfie booths for the attendees. But it seems by skipping the event, Nintendo is focusing more on its Nintendo Switch 2.