Gamescom 2026 may have delivered another massive week of announcements, trailers, and hands-on previews, but several developers have now revealed a much darker side of the event. Multiple teams claim expensive equipment was stolen from their booths, including laptops, controllers, Steam Decks, and even computers containing unfinished game builds.
The reports have raised serious questions about overnight security at one of the world’s largest gaming events. Some developers have also criticized the response they received after asking about protection for their equipment.
Developers Report Equipment Stolen From Gamescom Booths
One of the most prominent reports came from game developer Ryan Laley on August 28.
Laley revealed that his team’s computers had apparently been stolen from their Gamescom booth overnight. Police were contacted following the discovery, but the financial impact of losing the equipment was significant enough to disrupt the team’s plans.
The situation quickly attracted attention across the gaming industry.
CD Projekt Red even reportedly reached out and offered to see whether excess hardware could be provided to help the affected developers.
Unfortunately, Laley’s team wasn’t alone.
As the story spread across social media, several other developers and companies attending Gamescom 2026 began reporting similar incidents.
Tessera Studios Reports Laptops and Steam Deck Stolen
Tessera Studios was among the teams that came forward.
According to the studio, its storage area had apparently been forced open. Multiple pieces of equipment were missing afterward, including laptops, controllers, and a Steam Deck.
For smaller independent studios, losses like these can be particularly damaging. Gamescom already represents a significant investment in travel, accommodation, booth space, equipment, and development time.
Losing thousands of euros worth of hardware during the event can therefore have consequences long after the convention itself has ended.
Unfinished Games Were Reportedly on Stolen Laptops
Perhaps one of the more concerning reports came from publisher iam8bit.
The company reportedly had laptops stolen overnight as well. However, the machines weren’t simply ordinary office computers.
They allegedly contained unfinished builds of upcoming games.
That introduces another potential problem beyond the value of the stolen hardware itself. Development builds can contain unreleased assets, unfinished features, internal information, debug tools, and other material that publishers and developers would normally never want circulating publicly.
There is currently no indication that any stolen development builds have been leaked.
Gamescom Security Faces Criticism
The incidents have also sparked criticism regarding security arrangements inside the venue.
Eric Pope, senior community director for Dead by Daylight, claimed that security personnel effectively ignored concerns when asked about overnight protection for booths and equipment.
Another allegation came from a senior editor at Insider Gaming, who claimed children were able to freely walk through areas that were supposed to be secured.
If accurate, those claims will inevitably raise questions about how restricted exhibitor areas were being monitored after the public portions of Gamescom had closed.
Gamescom hosts enormous numbers of visitors, exhibitors, media representatives, developers, contractors, and other personnel. Maintaining security across such a large event is undoubtedly complicated.
However, exhibitors may reasonably expect restricted areas to actually remain restricted.
Gamescom Responds to Theft Reports
Gamescom has now publicly responded to the growing controversy.
The organization said it understands the concerns surrounding the reported incidents but stressed that exhibitors are encouraged ahead of the event to insure their equipment against theft.
Gamescom also explained that the security personnel stationed throughout the venue provide general event security rather than dedicated protection for individual booths.
Exhibitors wanting additional protection for their equipment are expected to hire individual security officers for their booths.
According to Gamescom, large events inevitably attract individuals attempting to take advantage of the situation, while organizers work to minimize those risks wherever possible.
That explanation, however, may not satisfy every developer affected by the thefts.
Should Developers Have to Hire Their Own Security?
The controversy creates a difficult question for Gamescom and its exhibitors.
Developers are responsible for protecting valuable equipment and maintaining appropriate insurance. Leaving expensive laptops, development hardware, consoles, and prototype equipment unattended always carries some degree of risk.
At the same time, exhibitors are operating inside an organized event with controlled access and onsite security.
If unauthorized individuals were genuinely able to enter supposedly restricted areas after hours, the discussion becomes about more than whether developers purchased sufficient insurance.
It becomes a question of whether Gamescom’s security procedures were strong enough in the first place.
Gamescom 2026 Ends With Uncomfortable Security Questions
Gamescom remains one of the most important gaming events in the world, providing developers with an enormous opportunity to showcase upcoming projects directly to players, media, publishers, and potential business partners.
However, the reports emerging from Gamescom 2026 have created an uncomfortable conversation surrounding exhibitor security.
Multiple developers reporting stolen computers would already be concerning. Reports involving forced-open storage, missing Steam Decks, stolen development machines, and unfinished game builds make the situation considerably more serious.
Gamescom maintains that exhibitors are encouraged to insure their equipment and can hire dedicated booth security when additional protection is required.
For the developers who returned to their booths only to discover thousands worth of equipment missing, that explanation may offer little comfort.
The bigger question now is whether Gamescom will make changes before its next event — because developers shouldn’t have to wonder whether their games, computers, and development hardware will still be waiting for them the following morning.
