As forecast in Stylus’s 2025 report, retro gaming is a quickly growing subsector, with Gamescom attention centred on Gen Z's scaling appetite. From ballooning interest in old-school hardware to the ongoing lure of vintage aesthetics and gameplay mechanics, discussions focused on how to feed booming retro demand.

Titles inspired by anime, the Japan-originating animation style beloved by Gen Z (see Fandoms to Watch), are taking over mobile gaming. Showcases and panels explored how exploding fan demand is turning anime-styled, character-driven, visually distinctive mobile titles into blockbuster hits, with billion-dollar Chinese virtual romance game Love and Deepspace becoming a fan sensation.

With 71% of gamers globally saying gaming improves critical thinking (ESA, 2025), games built to educate audiences on significant socio-political issues drew strong interest. Balancing entertaining gameplay with difficult, sometimes provocative subject matter, titles on show grappled with political history, media literacy and democracy, proving gaming's growing potential for integration into exhibitions, education, and social impact projects.

Within the booming simulator gaming market (see Key Stats), job sims – games inspired by real-world professions, where players perform routine tasks – are skyrocketing. With gamers increasingly seeking low-risk, gentle-stakes entertainment, discussions centred on two key categories: cosy job sims spinning mundane tasks into fantastical settings, and satisfyingly dull recreations of blue-collar jobs like trucking and farming.

With gamers more likely try new entertainment technology like extended reality (XR) and virtual reality (VR) than general audiences, new frontiers in gadgetry and hardware – particularly those adding layers of physical immersion – generated keen interest. Notable directions included haptic vests adding physical sensation to action games, a coming boom in XR/AR glasses, and multiplayer games turning VR headsets into cooperative kit.

Globally, 77% of gamers say gaming reduces their stress, while 70% say it lowers anxiety (UN, 2025). The mental health benefits of gaming was a hot topic at Gamescom, as more developers explore using it to combat key wellbeing concerns, including grief, stress, emotional dysregulation, and eco anxiety.

With 58% of gamers perceiving brands appearing in games as 'high quality' (Microsoft, 2025) major brands were on clear display acknowledging gaming's central role in audiences' leisure time, home life, and retail choices. Ikea, Lego, Adidas and Mercedes-Benz demonstrated how their products can move beyond product placement into gaming culture, spanning homewares and furniture, toys, apparel, and cars.