Gamescom is back in Germany in two months, but if you’re expecting to see some big PlayStation reveal, we’ve got some bad news.
Despite being its first in-person show since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sony has announced that it will not be attending Gamescom 2022 in August. This is according to the German publication Wirtschaft games (opens in new tab), which confirmed the company’s non-attendance. As such, don’t expect any big reveals for PlayStation VR 2 or God of War Ragnarok.
Gamescom organizers claimed that 250 companies are showing up this year, and while we don’t have the full list yet, Sony isn’t alone in this no-show. Activision Blizzard, Take-Two Interactive and Nintendo have previously confirmed that they will not be appearing. However, we can expect to see THQ Nordic, Koch Media and Bandai Namco.
Gamescom 2022 takes place between August 24th and 28th in Cologne, but this is not a fully in-person event. Similar to last year, proceedings begin on August 23 with the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase, presented by Summer Game Fest creator Geoff Keighley. So we can still see updates on Modern Warfare 2, Marvel’s Spider-man 2, and who knows (probably not) GTA 6.
No shows? No problems
Sony’s withdrawal from Gamescom 2022 shouldn’t be entirely surprising to PlayStation fans. The publisher has been marching at its own pace since leaving E3 2019 and has since focused on its own online presentations such as last year’s State of Play and PlayStation Showcase.
Typically, large announcements are reserved for these presentations. Take the latest State of Play showcase, for example, which focused primarily on third-party publishers. Alongside the first gameplay of PlayStation VR 2, Resident Evil 4 Remake has been confirmed, and we got our first real look at Street Fighter 6 and a new trailer for Final Fantasy 16.
There are exceptions, of course. Wrapping up Summer Game Fest two weeks ago, Sony has finally confirmed that The Last of Us is being remade for PC and PS5, so there’s flexibility in approach. Usually, though, when it comes to big events, Sony is doing well on its own.