Indie devs and publishers hit in Gamescom equipment thefts
Gamescom 2026 was marred by a string of equipment thefts that affected multiple independent developers and publishers. On the night before Friday, August 28, thieves stole locked-up laptops and Steam Decks from developer booths, with at least four separate incidents reported over the weekend.
Ryan Laley, developer of Mimic, posted a video on X describing the theft of his team’s laptops from Gamescom’s business area, calling it “a huge blow financially and mentally.” Publisher iam8bit also reported hardware stolen from the same area, while Tessera Studios lost two laptops and a Steam Deck from their booth in the Indie Arena. Police reports were filed for the incidents.
The thefts prompted questions from the developer community about whether Gamescom organizers had implemented sufficient security measures to prevent such breaches. Despite the frustrating situation, the gaming industry demonstrated solidarity, with CD Projekt Red offering support to Laley by pledging to provide replacement hardware from their “Arasaka hardware archives.”
The incidents highlighted vulnerabilities in event security during one of the gaming industry’s largest trade shows, raising concerns about the protection of valuable equipment and intellectual property at major conventions.