German President Steinmeier visits Gamescom as industry excludes AfD politicians

Presidential visit and industry stance on democracy

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Gamescom in Cologne on Thursday, marking the first appearance by a German head of state at the event. During the opening of the congress, industry representatives and political leaders focused on the connection between video games and democratic society. Felix Falk, managing director of the German gaming industry association Game, explicitly confirmed that politicians from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party are excluded from the fair. Falk stated that the organisation upholds constitutional order, pluralism, and the rule of law.

Those who fight democratic principles and an open society, as the AfD does, are not our partners and are not welcome at Gamescom.

Falk reiterated that video games require active player decisions, drawing a direct comparison to civic engagement in a constitutional democracy.

Cultural standing and regulatory warnings

During his tour of the exhibition halls, Steinmeier visited the Nintendo booth to play Wii Sports and met with cosplayers. The 70-year-old president noted that more than 40 million people in Germany play digital games across all age groups. Steinmeier rejected outdated stereotypes of isolated gamers, describing video games as cultural assets with direct societal relevance. He also addressed the risks associated with the medium, pointing to video game addiction, a condition recognized by the World Health Organization. Steinmeier requested clear regulatory rules to prevent the glorification of violence, hate speech, and extremist propaganda.

Precisely because computer and video games have become so ubiquitous, we must also talk about the dark sides of this development: objectively, honestly and in a differentiated manner.

Economic scale and tax policy disputes

Industry discussions at the event also evaluated the financial standing of German game developers in the global market. Worldwide video game and service revenues reached approximately 160 billion euros in 2025, while the German domestic market stabilized at roughly 9.34 billion euros including hardware. Despite Germany being one of the largest consumer gaming markets in the world, the value-creation share of domestic developers remains marginal. Association representatives repeated calls for tax relief to attract major production studios and support artificial intelligence integration. Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil informed attendees that statutory tax incentives will not be introduced for now, despite provisions in the 2025 coalition agreement.

High-level political attendance in Cologne

The trade fair commenced on Wednesday and runs through Sunday, with organisers projecting attendance to exceed 350,000 visitors. Several high-ranking officials attended alongside Steinmeier and Klingbeil, including Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär and European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen. German studios at the fair showcased independent productions and software utilizing artificial intelligence to expand market share. Steinmeier noted that gaming technologies provide valuable technical infrastructure for other economic fields, including medicine, architecture, and vehicle engineering. The event continues through the weekend with public exhibition halls and professional networking sessions across the Cologne trade fair grounds.