Over 250 Brazilian developers accuse Gamescom LATAM of unfair treatment in open letter

Over 250 Brazilian developers have signed an open letter to Gamescom LATAM, accusing the event of mismanagement. 

As spotted by Game Developer, the complaints from Game Devs Unidos (GDU) include high costs for basic items like power strips and strict rules requiring exhibitors to stay at their booths for up to 12 hours, with penalties for leaving.

The letter cites overpriced booths, costly TV rentals, inadequate staffing, lack of food and transport support, and no chairs or rest areas. 

GDU argued that these conditions fall short of industry standards and portray Gamescom LATAM as “antagonistic" to local developers, particularly towards the exhibitors in the Panorama Brasil section as the most affected. 

Call for improvement 

As part of the letter, it was claimed that Gamescom LATAM received over R$30 million ($5.3m) in funding, including public investments from federal, state, and municipal sources. 

The Diário Oficial da Prefeitura de São Paulo estimated Gamescom LATAM’s’s total budget, which included R$739,000 from the games trade group Abragames. 

GDU's open letter also noted that part of this budget was used to cover travel expenses for international influencers and press, citing a travel vlog by independent outlet MinnMax. 

The letter concludes by urging Gamescom LATAM to respond to developers’ proposals for improving the event as it claims that attempts to discredit the developers' concerns have been refuted. 

It suggests transportation assistance, meal vouchers, a developer rest area, free screens, power strips, and complimentary lockers for exhibitors

Gamescom LATAM 2025 wrapped up with 130,000 registered attendees and participation from over 300 media outlets and 40+ publishers, including Konami, NetEase, Nintendo, and Epic Games. 

PocketGamer.biz has reached out to the event organisers for comment.