Gamescom has apologised for the way it “communicated about the theft of hardware belonging to several indie developers” last week, admitting, “our first response did not strike the right tone, and it did not show the people affected the empathy they deserved”.

Multiple exhibitors at Gamescom reported thefts of laptops and other equipment from their booths in Cologne last week, with one indie developer, Ryan Laley, saying the loss has effectively ended his show early. Iam8bit also reported two of its laptops were taken overnight from the same business area, as did Tessera Studios.

Addressing the thefts at the time, Gamescom said it was “aware of stolen hardware” and understood “the frustration of affected exhibitors”, triggering further condemnation from attendees.

Now, in a new statement posted yesterday (4th September), Gamescom posted a follow-up statement on social media, saying the organisers “understand what this has cost you, and we should have said so from the very first moment”.

Gamescom’s full statement is attached below:

Over the past few days, we have received a great deal of criticism for the way we communicated about the theft of hardware belonging to several indie developers. That criticism is justified. Our first response did not strike the right tone, and it did not show the people affected the empathy they deserved. We are sorry.

A theft like this is far more than a material loss. It can ruin an entire Gamescom for the people it happens to, and it can destroy work that took months or years to build – work that, for a small studio, can be almost everything. To everyone affected: we understand what this has cost you, and we should have said so from the very first moment.

We have already begun talking with those affected – about the theft, about its consequences, and above all to listen.

We have also been moved by how this industry responded. Within hours, people offered help – unconditionally, and without being asked. That says a great deal about this community, and we are grateful for it. What it does not do is relieve us, as the organisers, of our own responsibility to work together with our exhibitors and partners to create the best possible environment for everyone. We are therefore committed to jointly reviewing and further improving security.

Here is what we are doing: Alongside our regular post-event review and our evaluation of exhibitor feedback, we will carry out a dedicated review of security for indie exhibitors. In the coming weeks, we will invite organisers of shared indie booths to a roundtable, so that we can develop concrete measures together.

We also urge every exhibitor who has experienced an incident to report it – to us and to the police – even if it happened some time ago. Only then can incidents be documented, possible connections between them investigated, and appropriate action taken. You can reach us at sales@gamescom.de.

Gamescom is made by the industry, for the industry. It lives on the passion of the people who build it, and that includes the many small studios who matter to us enormously. Our commitment has always been to keep making gamescom better – together with the community, not just when things go well. That is exactly what we will do here. Thank you to everyone who is helping us.

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red and Indie Game Joe are amongst those who have stepped forward to support those impacted by the thefts.