risingSUD showcases the South of France at gamescom 2025

22 August 2025

Gamescom 2025 confirmed the event’s status as Europe’s largest video game trade fair by bringing together more than 335 000 visitors, 1400 exhibitors, and 32 000 industry professionals in Cologne. This year, the Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region was proudly represented at the video game convention thanks to the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) mission that was led by risingSUD, the Region Sud, and the EEN France Méditerranée consortium, in partnership with Germany’s ZENIT GmbH innovation agency.

 

The gamescom trade fair ran from August 18 to 21, 2025 in Cologne, and the South of France delegation had the following objectives:

  • Discover the strengths of the gaming ecosystem in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany
  • Identify opportunities for international development
  • Initiate strategic B2B meetings and forge lasting partnerships
  • Promote the South of France’s standing as a Top 5 video game hub in France and present the regional support mechanisms for attracting international companies and games studios
  • Strengthen the region’s network of international partners in the sector 

 

Nine regional and Corsican companies were selected to participate in the trade mission:

Exkee, Universal Esport,UDC, Atlantis Studio, Nothing2Install, MimemAi/Spill Studio, Cross the Ages, Gamearly(Corsica), SudAnim. Each company had its own ambitions, such as raising funds, establishing commercial partnerships, or attracting publishers.

 

The Region Sud has developed a comprehensive and targeted program for the trade mission that focused on internationalization and investment: 

  • August 19: Visits to the video game ecosystem in North Rhine-Westphalia (clusters, studios, incubators) followed by participation in the European Game Night and Cocktail Game France (organized by Business France, the CNC national cinema center, and the SNJV national video game association) to strengthen B2B connections.

  • August 20: Immersion in the heart of Gamescom 2025 with privileged access to the business area, stands, and show highlights, followed by the Cologne Business Mixer evening organized by the city.

  • August 20-21: On the investment side, risingSUD held about 15 targeted meetings to support collaboration projects and the opening of Canadian, British, Brazilian, and Japanese studios in the South of France. This was a great opportunity to promote the region’s assets, its talent, and its creative support mechanisms.

  • August 19-20: The delegation participated in several networking evenings, which helped position the South of France as a major video game hub in France and promote the upcoming European eSports event to be held in Nice in October: EVO France | Evo | The Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament.

 

SudAnim, the regional network of animation and video game professionals, had a dedicated stand at the France Pavilion that showcased the region’s expertise and talent while providing a platform for companies to enhance their international visibility.

 

With an average of 15 high-level business meetings per company, the gamescom 2025 was a huge success and served as a concrete illustration of the dynamic role that the South of France plays in the global video game sector.

 

risingSUD contacts: Vanessa JANNOT, International Project Manager - Innovative Therapies, Silver Economy, Cosmetic & Creative Industries & Margaux Sommier, Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Project Manager - Enterprise Europe Network Advisor