Nintendo won’t be attending Gamescom 2024

Nintendo has reportedly confirmed that it won’t be attending Gamescom 2024.

In a statement issued to German publication Games Wirtschaft, a spokesperson for the company said it would not be an exhibitor at this summer’s event.

VGC has contacted Nintendo for confirmation and additional comment.

Gamescom 2024 organisers have yet to announce the exhibitor list for the show, which is scheduled to take place in Cologne, Germany, from August 21-25.

Nintendo attended last year’s Gamescom as an exhibitor. According to VGC sources, the company also used the event to show off tech demos for Switch 2 behind closed doors.

VGC reported in February that Nintendo had internally delayed the launch of its next-gen console from this year to early 2025.

One publishing source suggested the delay was so that it could prepare stronger first-party software for the console, while others have claimed the move was made to avoid potential hardware supply issues.

Nintendo shut down online play for 3DS and Wii U this month, having already closed the eShops for both systems in March 2023.

Players can still play games offline, according to Nintendo. It has also said that Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter will retain online functionality (presumably since they’re still used by players and use online connectivity as their central mechanic).

It is still possible to download update data and redownload purchased software and DLC from the 3DS and Wii U eShops “for the foreseeable future”.