Gamescom 2026: Thieves Target Indie Developers' Laptops Overnight at Cologne Convention

Thieves stole laptops from multiple game developers' booths overnight at Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, leaving some exhibitors without the hardware they need to demo their own games.

Ryan Laley, a solo developer showing the survival horror game Mimic, posted a video on X on Friday morning saying his laptops containing the game had been taken from his booth overnight. He said chargers were left behind — only the laptops were taken. Laley said other exhibitors in the same area had equipment stolen too, and that he reported the theft to Gamescom central management, whose security team contacted police.

Publisher iam8bit confirmed on X that two laptops used to demo the games Petal Runner and Escape Academy 2 were stolen overnight. The company noted that Koelnmesse — the convention centre hosting Gamescom — had security present at the time. The missing laptops could contain unfinished versions of those games, raising the possibility of early leaks before release.

Laley confirmed that his booth and iam8bit's were in the same section: Hall 4.1, the business area near Koelnmesse's West Entrance. The targeting of that specific area suggests the thieves knew what they were looking for.

A third exhibitor, Tessera Studios, posted on X that its booth in the Indie Area of Hall 10.2 was hit earlier in the week. The developer of The Zibbo Show said a cabinet was forced open and two laptops plus a Steam Deck — a handheld gaming PC made by Valve — were taken.

Video Games Chronicle confirmed at least three exhibitors were affected: Laley, iam8bit, and Tessera Studios, based on the developers' own posts on X (VGC).

For the developers affected, a stolen laptop is more than lost hardware. Independent studios often run their entire demo — and sometimes their only working copy of a game in development — from a single machine. A replacement laptop can be bought; a game build that is weeks from completion, with no backup, is harder to recover.

Gamescom is one of the world's largest gaming events, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to Koelnmesse each August. The convention centre's sprawling halls house everything from massive publisher booths to rows of small indie displays, and the business areas are meant to be restricted after hours.

Gamescom's own exhibitor information pages warn of fraudulent activity targeting attendees, including fake Koelnmesse invoices sent by email and scam calls using manipulated phone numbers. The equipment thefts, however, represent a physical security breach rather than a financial scam.

No arrests have been reported. Police are investigating.