Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, was marred by a string of equipment thefts, with at least three exhibitors reporting that hardware was stolen from their booths during the show. The affected parties include Mimic developer Ryan Laley, publisher iam8bit, and Tessera Studios, all hit over the course of the week.
According to reports, Laley lost all of the laptops from his booth, while iam8bit said it was missing two machines. Tessera Studios had two laptops and a Steam Deck taken from a cabinet that had been forced open. The booths of Laley and iam8bit sit together in Hall 4.1, next to the west entrance gate, an easy target for opportunistic thieves. Tessera Studios, by contrast, was located in Hall 10.2 in the Indie Area, far from the other two.
Unfinished Game Builds Now at Risk
The financial cost is significant, particularly for smaller indie creators. But the greater concern for the affected teams is the data stored on the machines. Many of the stolen devices held unreleased builds of the games being demoed at the expo. Even if the developers keep backups on external drives, the existence of a copy in unknown hands raises the possibility of a leak of work still in progress.
In a post on X, iam8bit said its two stolen laptops were being used to demo the titles Petal Runner and Escape Academy 2 to media and content creators. The company noted the theft disrupted a packed appointment schedule and put unfinished builds of both games at risk of being leaked. The machines went missing overnight despite the presence of Koelnmesse security.
Organizers Point to Booth-Level Security
Tessera Studios reported arriving on Wednesday to find its cabinet broken into, with two laptops and a Steam Deck gone. The studio said the devices contained not only its Gamescom demo but also personal, company, and critical information. Laley said police reports had been filed and described the incident as a major financial and mental blow, adding that he would try to make the most of the remaining days of the show.
Gamescom organizers responded by clarifying the scope of the event’s security arrangements. While uniformed guards are provided for general coverage across the venue, exhibitors must book individual booth security separately. Organizers also advised exhibitors to carry insurance against theft.
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Image: tomshardware.com
