Banish whatever hopes you had balled up in the deepest, darkest recesses of your mind that Nintendo might pull a fast one on the world and debut the Switch 2 at Gamescom this August in Cologne, Germany. That definitely won’t happen, after the Mario-maker confirmed to Games Wirtschaft and later, Eurogamer, that it wouldn’t be attending the conference this year.
“Gamescom is a great event, and each year we evaluate whether Nintendo should participate or not,” a Nintendo UK spokesperson told Eurogamer. “After careful consideration from all perspectives, we’ve made the decision not to be present at Gamescom 2024. Players will have opportunities to try out Nintendo Switch games at other events throughout the year.”
Rest in Peace, E3 Gamescom
Honestly, it was only a matter of time before one of the Big Three™ pulled out of what is essentially the final Western legacy gaming conference left in the space. E3 has been dead and buried for some time now — all in favour of PlayStation, Microsoft, and Nintendo hosting their own events — leaving all remaining eyeballs permanently fixed on Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Fest.
Maybe we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. Gamescom hasn’t quite keeled over and died just yet, but there’s no denying the shadow cast over the conference by Nintendo’s departure is an ominous one. Just like the European Super League three years back, the company’s exit might just be the sign Microsoft and Sony have been waiting for. Only time will tell.
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What does it all mean for the future of the company? Well, not much. It already has a slate of titles lined up to see the Switch through its final hours, such as Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, Braid, and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. There’s still hope that a Wind Waker remaster might be in the offing, backed up by nothing more than our own delusions.