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15 Teams, 3 Days and a Hugely Successful Gamescom for Aotearoa NZ

6 hours ago
3 min read

In collaboration with our partners at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) and Representing Games, CODE assisted fifteen teams in attending Gamescom, the largest event in the gaming industry in the world.


NZ CODE and NZTE return with fully branded New Zealand pavilion to the Business Area at Gamescom 2026.
NZ CODE and NZTE return with fully branded New Zealand pavilion to the Business Area at Gamescom 2026.

Supported by CODE's 8th national Travel Grant round, 11 New Zealand game development studios attended Gamescom Cologne, in August. This year, CODE also assisted a further four industry service providers with travel and a place on the NZ pavilion in the Business Area at the event.


Here are the highlights from our Gamescom 2026:


Representing Games

CODE hosted a pitch event, presenting eight games to over 60 unique publishers and investors  present. Attendance at this event has grown year on year, further confirming CODE’s reputation for delivering a consistent portfolio of commercially-focused, highly interesting and marketing products from the independent game studios of Aotearoa that we support. 


The response was huge and very positive for the eight teams that pitched, with multiple publishers booking follow ups right on the spot and visiting teams on the NZ pavilion.


Pictured L-R: Matt Inns (Little Dragon Interactive), Skyler Zeng (KittyWampus), and Cait Stewart (Lesser Key Studios) pitch at Representing Games.


New Zealand Pavilion - Gamescom Business Area

NZTE took the lead on coordinating NZ teams with another beautifully staged NZ branded pavilion in the Business Area at the event. In collaborating with NZTE, our strategy is always "product first" - allowing the games to showcase their own strengths, and turning our booth into a sought-after spot for publishers and investors seeking marketable game products that appeal to their audiences, or for investing in the leading early-stage teams New Zealand offers.


The New Zealand pavilion in the Business Area at Gamescom 2026.


Media and influencer engagement

Two of our studios, both Balancing Monkey Games with their release of Beyond These Stars and Astronaut Dairies with Denari, both on a launch pathway, spent the event engaging with many media and influencers across the week.


The New Zealand pavilion in the Business Area at Gamescom 2026.


New Zealand Networking Mixer

NZTE hosted an exclusive ‘Kiwi-style’ networking mixer held at the beautifully located Park Cafe, in Rheinpark Cologne. It was fantastic to see NZ game studios, global publishers and industry experts, and partners from around the world come together to make new connections, gain fresh insights, share ideas and celebrate what's happening in the games sector. Thank you to Mario Wynands, CEO of PikPok, who shared his experience, insights, and journey in building one of New Zealand's leading game studios.


Pictured: Gamescom New Zealand Networking Mixer, hosted by NZTE at Park Cafe, Rheinpark Cologne.


What Were the Outcomes?

Vee Pendergrast, CODE’s Industry Development Manager said “Whilst it has been a challenging few years for the game development sector globally, with the right conditions, there really is a convincing flow of deals coming through, be they investment-based, publishing or co-development. The industry is very much rooted in audience-lead development and creating IPs that will last.”


Pictured: Gamescom 2026.


A special thank you to NZTE for your ongoing support - the New Zealand pavilion at Gamescom 2026 was only enabled by the generous support of NZTE, and our funders at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).


An incredibly successful Gamescom campaign - thanks, teams!


NZ CODE supported games at Gamescom 2026:


NZ CODE supported service providers at Gamescom 2026:


NZTE supported games at Gamescom 2026:



Expressions of Interest for CODE Round 9 Travel Grants


CODE are interested in supporting Aotearoa New Zealand based teams to achieve commercialisation outcomes by supporting them with travel grants.


Expression of Interest for CODE Round 9 Travel Grants will be open in October 2026, with a focus on travel to events in the first half of 2026, such at BitSummit in Kyoto. Gamescom-focused (Round 10) Travel Grants will open in April 2027.


Please check the CODE Travel Grant Guidelines, here.

 
 
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