gamescom 2025: The Shopmacher improve digital orientation, creator access and community feeling
Find better, trade fairly, celebrate stress-free: the gaming event gamescom has further optimized its digital platform in 2025. The e-commerce agency Shopmacher is responsible for this for the fourth time in a row. With an interactive hall plan, an update to the digital adventure game epix and a completely revised signing area tool, Shopmacher has improved the community feeling and user convenience.
gamescom 2025 in Cologne.
gamescom 2025 in Cologne Crisis x.
The digital agency Shopmacher has been looking after the digital backbone of gamescom since 2021. In 2025, the digital professionals with gaming DNA have also developed new features to further improve the experience on the digital platform and the visit to the event itself.
Onsite Locator: The digital compass for over 335,000 visitors
One new feature is the interactive hall plan, which becomes a smart real-time guide: The new Onsite Locator makes it noticeably easier for visitors to find their way around the complex exhibition grounds – even when there are large crowds. The application shows which exhibitors, games or events are located in which hall and allows you to save individual favorites. Your own location can also be displayed on the website to help you find your way around.
Combined with QR codes on the on-site signage, this results in a consistent digital guidance system with clear orientation aids: anyone who scans the QR codes on the signs is taken directly to the relevant map view on gamescom.global and receives an overview of all exhibitors and events in the respective hall. This allows gamers to quickly recognize which highlights await them in the respective hall.
Combined with QR codes on the on-site signage, this results in a consistent digital guidance system with clear orientation aids: anyone who scans the QR codes on the signs is taken directly to the relevant map view on gamescom.global and receives an overview of all exhibitors and events in the respective hall. This allows gamers to quickly recognize which highlights await them in the respective hall.
Motivation through reach: How indie studios become content producers
Another big plus for the Onsite Locator is the newly created integration of the gamescom indie area. Anyone who creates a complete and well-maintained profile, including a key visual and product page, will be activated for listing at the gamescom team event, one of the world’s largest distribution platforms for PC games, and thus benefit from high visibility.
gamescom epix: Swapping instead of just collecting
The gamescom epix digital community campaign, which has already been a hit in previous years with quests and trading cards, is also getting a major upgrade: for the first time, cards can be actively swapped – via a matching system that allows users to select specific cards they would like to swap. Users can only swap cards that are available more than once in order to complete their own collection. Technically, the system is based on a rule-based exchange logic that is intuitive, secure and optimized for mobile use.
In addition, a newly developed dashboard shows daily quests, friend requests and rewards at a glance. These include daily tickets, discount codes, digital goodies and sponsored prizes from partners.
In addition, a newly developed dashboard shows daily quests, friend requests and rewards at a glance. These include daily tickets, discount codes, digital goodies and sponsored prizes from partners.
Signing Area 2.0: Fairness and overview for stars and fans
Together with software provider Linistry, the Shopmacher have completely overhauled the digital queuing tool for autograph sessions. The focus: maximum transparency, user-friendliness and a significantly improved user experience – especially for coveted creator signings.
The focus is on avoiding moments of frustration: Anyone who doesn’t get a slot now receives clear feedback with an indication of the next booking time – supplemented by a countdown timer and a forecast of when further slots will be activated. This means that visitors always know which options are still available. The booking process itself has also been optimized: The available time slots for Creator performances are opened in hourly slot waves – two hours in advance in each case. This distributes the rush more evenly, avoids technical congestion and increases the chances of getting a slot.
The system is supplemented by so-called “fast lanes” for exhibitors: users can use a simplified booking system to book specific slots to test their favorite games. Both systems contribute to the same goal: less crowds, more experience.
The focus is on avoiding moments of frustration: Anyone who doesn’t get a slot now receives clear feedback with an indication of the next booking time – supplemented by a countdown timer and a forecast of when further slots will be activated. This means that visitors always know which options are still available. The booking process itself has also been optimized: The available time slots for Creator performances are opened in hourly slot waves – two hours in advance in each case. This distributes the rush more evenly, avoids technical congestion and increases the chances of getting a slot.
The system is supplemented by so-called “fast lanes” for exhibitors: users can use a simplified booking system to book specific slots to test their favorite games. Both systems contribute to the same goal: less crowds, more experience.
gamescom 2025 in Cologne.
Further digital improvements: more content, better UX
Further improvements have also been made under the hood of the gamescom.global platform:
- CMS upgrade: With the switch from Hygraph Classic to Studio, the editor experience has been comprehensively improved. The platform makes consistent use of all new features.
- Simple templates: New, greatly simplified templates for partner and product pages make content creation easier – even for inexperienced users.
- Steam import: A new import tool transfers metadata directly from Steam to the CMS. Only gaps need to be filled – this saves time and improves data quality.
- Optimized navigation: In all lists, an incremental search in combination with favorites filters enables faster orientation.
- Accessibility: The platform has been semantically revised to structurally improve accessibility.
- Snippets & animations: Small features such as snippets to make events easier to find or an animated bookmark function increase visibility and the fun factor.
“With every innovation, we make the biggest games event in the world that little bit better – for everyone who attends,” says Ludvigsen-Diekmann. “Our aim is to provide the digital backbone of the event – and at the same time make the experience tangibly better for users.”
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