Devcom Cologne Preview: New Roundtables, AI Survey & Minh Le Keynote

Two weeks out from Devcom in Cologne, here’s your quick-hit preview: expect a bigger expo vibe, a brand-new stage dedicated to simultaneous roundtables, headline keynotes from industry legends, and fresh survey data showing a cautious yet practical approach to AI across game development. Add in hundreds of sessions, deep dives from storied studios, and a few playful surprises, and this year’s edition is shaping up to be packed.

Devcom returns to Cologne on August 17–19 with more than 350 speakers and over 200 sessions. If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by choice when building your schedule, that’s both the challenge and the thrill: there’s something for everyone, from technical trenches to design ideation, from production wins to war stories that didn’t go to plan. This year’s program leans harder into interactivity and community knowledge-sharing, which is a smart move for a conference that sits at the crossroads of developers, publishers, and partners.

What’s new this time? A dedicated roundtable stage where multiple roundtables run in parallel. That means more chances to get hands-on with topics that benefit from open discussion rather than one-way presentations. Roundtables shine when you want practical answers, peer feedback, and a bit of healthy debate; the expansion recognizes how valuable that format has become for attendees who arrive with specific problems to solve.

Expect a sizeable expo stage, too. The idea is to blend that Gamescom energy straight into Devcom’s venue, so even if you’re just cruising the floor you can catch high-profile sessions and keynotes. It’s an approachable setup: instead of scrambling between tight rooms, you can soak up big ideas in a space designed to feel alive and inclusive.

Let’s talk highlights. Fans of competitive FPS history will appreciate a keynote from Minh Le, best known for co-creating Counter-Strike. It’s the perfect moment to reflect on two and a half decades of iteration, community-driven design, and the realities of sustaining a phenomenon over time. On the other end of the spectrum, the creators of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl are set to share a perspective forged under extraordinary pressure. Development amid ongoing conflict is a story of resilience, logistics, and creative focus; expect a talk that’s as human as it is technical.

The lineup doesn’t stop there. Look out for insights from Michel Nohra on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and from Zeke Virant on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Production and project teams from Arrowhead Game Studios, Gearbox Montreal, and Avalanche Studios will bring candid lessons from the frontlines—those gritty details that help you ship smarter and keep morale up when the sprint board looks daunting. And for a blast from the past with lasting relevance, David Fox will reflect on Lucasfilm Games’ Rescue on Fractalus!, an early exploration of real-time 3D that still speaks to the courage of technical experimentation.

Newly announced sessions add even more flavor. Viva La Game Dev: How a YouTube Empire Became Indie Game Gold will spotlight creators behind the massively popular Viva La Dirt League and how they channeled audience reach into game development momentum. There’s also Mario Kart World: Beat the Pros, where attendees can square off against seasoned racers for a shot at bragging rights and prizes. It’s the kind of playful programming that keeps Devcom’s atmosphere collaborative and fun.

Beyond sessions, Devcom’s recent speaker survey offers a revealing snapshot of where the industry’s head is at, especially around AI. The biggest group of respondents said they want to use AI as little as possible, while a nearly equal share expressed targeted interest, particularly for coding assistance and production workflows. Interest in AI for art and animation was notably modest, with even lower appetite for marketing and communications, and only a tiny fraction seeing narrative design as a good fit for AI. The takeaway is clear: many developers are experimenting with guardrails, keeping AI close to pragmatic, low-risk use cases.

On broader industry health, respondents pointed to economic and political uncertainty as the most pressing challenge, with market saturation close behind and rising development costs not far off. Those three concerns form a feedback loop: crowded markets make differentiation costly, while macroeconomic headwinds squeeze budgets and decision timelines. Interestingly, nearly half of surveyed voices expect at least one major platform holder to pivot further toward cloud and digital services in the near future. On the player side, most speakers prefer buying games digitally, with a significant minority saving physical purchases for collector’s editions.

What does that mean for you as an attendee? Here are a few practical plays:

• Prioritize roundtables if you want direct, candid problem-solving. Come with questions; leave with contacts and actionable next steps.
• Use the expo stage as a home base. You’ll catch a lot of heavy hitters without running a marathon between sessions.
• Balance inspiration and utility. Mix visionary keynotes with tactical talks from production and design leads.
• Carve out time to meet speakers after sessions. Devcom’s strength is accessibility—use it.

If AI is on your roadmap, approach it like the survey suggests: focused, transparent, and aligned with team values. Coding helpers and production automation can free up creative energy, while art, narrative, and marketing uses should be discussed openly with stakeholders and, where relevant, communities. The beauty of Devcom is that you can road-test these ideas with peers who’ve tried, failed, and tried again.

With a schedule this dense, it’s impossible to see everything. That’s okay. Pick a theme for each day—design systems, production pipelines, or community building—and let that theme guide your choices. Drop into at least one session outside your comfort zone; serendipity is part of the magic. And save some energy for the playful stuff like Mario Kart World. A little competition has a way of sparking conversations you wouldn’t have had otherwise.

In short, this year’s Devcom looks set to deliver a thoughtful blend of big-stage inspiration and small-room practicality, framed by an industry that’s both cautious and creative in the face of uncertainty. Whether you’re coming for the legends, the roundtables, or the pulse check on AI, Cologne is about to get busy—and we’ll be there to take it all in.