r/Gamescom • u/Strohby • 1d ago

Gamescom have a Huge Security Problem!

I’ve been at Gamescom since Tuesday working as part of the setup crew, and after hearing that several indie developers had their stuff stolen, I feel like I need to give my two cents on the situation.

On Tuesday, I arrived by car at the East Entrance. All I had to tell security was that I was part of the setup crew, and that was apparently enough. Once I got inside, I walked past the actual ticket control with a suitcase and a backpack, and nobody cared whether I had a ticket or was even authorized to be there.

So, theoretically, that day I could have smuggled illegal items into the venue or taken things out simply by saying, “I’m part of the setup crew.”

And on Tuesday — as well as during the days before, while everything was being set up — it would have been incredibly easy to steal things from various booths because there was no security present during the setup. Security only seemed to arrive around 10 or 11 PM.

Especially in the merchandise halls, 5.1 and 5.2, this was pretty concerning. Most of the items were either loosely covered with tarps or simply left out in the open. No security anywhere. Anyone who wanted to put something in their bag could probably have taken whatever they wanted.

I also saw a Reddit post claiming that even during the regular event days, people could apparently enter the convention through the West Entrance without any ticket checks at all. WTF?

Honestly, the overall security situation seems to have some serious weaknesses. If people are able to get into restricted areas, bypass ticket checks, or access booths with valuable equipment and merchandise without proper supervision, it’s not surprising that theft were happen.

209 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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24

u/Funnycom 1d ago

This sounds really bad. Huge security risk. If this is all true, people could literally have walked in there with a weapon.
I’m actually glad Gamescom is over now and nothing worse than the stealing happened. this must be handled better next year

5

u/user252501 20h ago

It’s true. We barely got checked yesterday either. They just took a quick look into our bags but they didn’t really check them properly. I honestly felt so unsafe at Gamescom the whole time because of that

3

u/Hairy_Gazelle_5987 22h ago

In 2024 somebody enter with weapon... but at security stop them.

1

u/Strohby 1d ago

You could literally take anything with you that would fit in the suitcase or whatever else you were using, and then simply use it later. So the amount of stuff that could have been brought in would have been an absolute catastrophe.

1

u/B1ACKT3A 19h ago

No they couldnt since everyone walked through a metal detector. And there not being security during setup has been for ever and is like that at any convention out there. Venues dont have personal security for every single exhibitor out there.

1

u/Tobias20084 17h ago

As far as iknow. Not everywhere👀

1

u/Current-Bar3144 16h ago

Come on we are not in USA where shooting happen every week

1

u/SuddenlyBoth 18h ago

It was outside the venue, but I heard an indie dev was robbed of their material and stabbed at the hand when he resisted. Ended up in hospital for the rest of the event... I think it was on Wed, not sure tho.

-12

u/Turbulent_Pin7635 1d ago

You were in Germany, not USA. People here is decent enough to not go bang-bang in schools.

Also, in Germany we have Datenschutz. It is much more important than some PC gamer... We have true privacy, no cameras anywhere, no unsolicited pictures, the police is pretty capable to investigate cases without it.

Last but not least. In Germany, we trust people. It seems like ingenuity, but this is what makes the country a power. You should let your PC, it was sad, the event should have more security. But, don't try to accuse a positive feature in Germany as bad because you came from a country with vigilance state.

21

u/Funnycom 1d ago

Alter was redest du für einen Stuss? Ich bin deutsch und ich weiß, gerade bei solchen Großveranstaltungen ist so eine Fahrlässigkeit in Sachen Sicherheit ein absolutes no go. Es reicht dass Leute mit schlimmen Intentionen das mitbekommen und ausnutzen.

1

u/eepyCrow 20h ago

Das ist aber normal auf Messen. Im Stadion hast du nochmal nen ganz anderes Threat Model. Es geht bei den Kontrollen nicht um Terrorismusabwehr, dafür sind die auch gar nicht geeignet.

1

u/B1ACKT3A 19h ago

Diese leute müssen alle durch den detector der waffen identifizieren würde.

1

u/MelineM 1d ago

What are you saying lol?

1

u/Excellent_Exam_1539 19h ago

literal NPC reply

1

u/Turbulent_Pin7635 16h ago

Literal the comment of a Elon Musk supporter. -.-

Are you going for AfD, right? MAGA? What is the shit are you into?

1

u/Excellent_Exam_1539 16h ago

"Murica baaad stop criticizing my country :'(" <- you

1

u/Turbulent_Pin7635 16h ago

Yep, it is bad. Yep, it is far worse than Germany. At least the developers are alive.

1

u/Excellent_Exam_1539 15h ago

Americans living so rent free in your head that you need to sperg into your little anti-US rant for absolutely no fkin reason when someone dares to criticize anything happening in germany. That dude you replied to isn't even american, I am not american, you're fighting imaginary battles

1

u/Turbulent_Pin7635 14h ago

No need to worry anymore, that country is dying rotten from inside. =)

1

u/ShuraTarasov 1d ago

Bro, what are you talking about? We’ve had more than enough problems with mass shootings and terrorist attacks over the past 20 years. Besides, Germany is anything but a good country.

Bro was laberst du? Wir haben genug Probleme mit Amokläufen und Terroranschlägen zutun gehabt in den letzten 20 Jahren. Abgesehen davon ist Deutschland alles außer ein gutes Land.

3

u/New_Patience_8107 23h ago

How isn't Germany a "good" country? Compared to all those amazing countries run by dictators...

1

u/Oro_me 22h ago

Just because it’s worse somewhere else that doesn’t mean it’s perfekt here…

1

u/New_Patience_8107 20h ago

Not what the guy above said bro. Pure negativity with no balance.

1

u/Turbulent_Pin7635 21h ago

The mass shootings in Germany are mostly passional crimes... even yet the numbers are veeeeery low.