Terra Game On was present at CCXP25 and we had the opportunity to chat with Gustavo Steinberg, CEO of gamescom latam.
He told us about the evolution of the event, the Brazilian gaming market and the outlook for 2026.
Terra Game On: Gustavo, thank you very much for having us! How many years have you been working in the gaming market? What made you choose this path?
Gustavo Steinberg: I’ve been working on games for 14 years, including the Grand Festival. I had worked with indie film and music festivals before, and then I decided to do one for indie games, and that’s when the Big Festival started. At the time there were few events like this, there were IndieCade and IGF, and as I am also a film producer I know how important festivals are for film producers, so the games seemed an obvious choice to me. I’m also part of the first generation who was born with a joystick in their hand, so I got together with people who understand the market and development and we organized the first Big Festival (in 2012). Since then, things have evolved.
Terra Game On: And how was the arrival of Gamescom in Brazil?
Gustavo Steinberg: Shortly after the pandemic, we first became partners, we were acquired by Omelete in 2022. And then I already saw opportunities in relation to games, and as Gamescom was an event with a very similar DNA to ours. Then we went to Germany, I started exchanging ideas with the guys, business adjusted and then we managed to enter into a joint venture with the Germans. Gamescom Latam is still a majority Brazilian company, two-thirds Brazilian and one-third German. But we’re part of the Gamescom family, which is the only global gaming event and for us it made a lot of sense from a regional development perspective for the gaming industry, the ability to have that connection to a global event and to be able to attract more publishers and to be able to pay more attention to the region. And then in 2024, we started the first one, we did the second one this year and the third one next year, which will be amazing.
Terra Game On: And what video game did you start playing? Is there a game that left an impression on you and motivated you to work with video games?
Gustavo Steinberg: Ah, it was with Atari, right? Now, there wasn’t a game per se that motivated me, my path to games was through events. I’ve also had a few games that I got “hooked” on, one exception was Civilization, the other day I opened it again and said “I can’t get back into this, no!” (laugh). But if someone told me, when I was younger, that I was going to work on games, I would find it surprising, amusing, cool, but I would never have imagined that I would do that in the future. As an independent film producer, I also know the importance of festivals in connecting producers, so the path to games in that sense felt natural.
Terra Game On: Speaking of indie games, this year saw the launch of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a French indie game that saw phenomenal success. Do you think that here in Latin America we have a candidate (or candidates) to achieve similar success?
Gustavo Steinberg: Maybe not on the same level, because games like this (like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) don’t happen overnight, but I think we’re close to having an equivalent. I can’t name a candidate, but I think we have several studios with potential.
Terra Game On: Brazil and the Brazilian video game market have undergone many transformations since you started working in this field. Do you think growing today is easier than 10 years ago?
Gustavo Steinberg: I think it’s easier today, but that doesn’t mean it’s simple. It’s easier because today people are more qualified and there is a high-level development environment. There are also tools today that simplify the process compared to the days of the Grand Festival, for example. However, distribution is increasingly difficult, the big challenge is that there is an enormous amount of products in the world and it is increasingly difficult to find a place in the sun due to competition. Part of our work is precisely to provide space for independent production. Of course, we also talked to the big publishers, because they are also interested in indie games due to the high cost of a AAA game. So we give this space so that maybe a few gems can be discovered and have the chance to shine throughout the world.
Terra Game On: Concerning the public, do you think that the gaming and cinema audiences are getting closer or do you still see differences between the two?
Gustavo Steinberg: Yes, there was an intersection, but I still think there are differences between the two audiences. It also depends on the type of movie, people who are interested in movies and game series are probably similar. At Gamescom in particular, the biggest audience interest, beyond games, was in anime and manga. But the truth is that games are now mainstream, everyone watches series, films and plays, according to each person’s preferences. With time limited, major streaming platforms now compete with major gaming platforms for people’s time and attention. So I don’t think it’s exactly the same audience.
Terra Game On: Video games used to be a niche activity. Do you think playing video games is actually common today?
Gustavo Steinberg: 80% of the population plays. If I’m not mistaken, the latest statistics show that the average age of a Brazilian player is 32 years old, in France it is 40 years old. Playing video games is therefore something that is already integrated into society. So much so that at Gamescom we abandoned the question of what it means to be a “gamer”, because many people play and have games as part of their entertainment habit, without necessarily considering themselves part of a group.
Terra Game On: What would being a “gamer” mean to you?
Gustavo Steinberg: For me, being a player means, in addition to playing, boasting about this condition. Interestingly, there is no label for those who watch a lot of TV series, for example, and I think the word gamer has the weight that comes from the days when playing games was a “weird thing”, whereas today people play games the way they watch movies in the cinema and series on Netflix and Amazon, as another cultural option, not as something that defines them. We also see it at gamescom, which is a gaming event that goes beyond “gamers”, we talk about it to everyone.
Terra Game On: What are the prospects for the next gamescom latam? In this sense, how can we attract more people than the traditional player?
Gustavo Steinberg: We have the prospect of reaching an audience of 150, 160 thousand people, and to do that we need to talk to everyone, from the core gamer, to the esports fan to someone who just plays Candy Crush. For this we therefore have to bring a lot of content like conferences and big announcements, which unfortunately I cannot say, in addition to relying on Omelete’s experience to attract a wider audience with interesting attractions. The challenge is to bring all of this together without losing our roots, our DNA which is a fun event.
Terra Game On: Finally, what can we expect for gamescom 2026?
Gustavo Steinberg: We have a lot of rabbit holes in the hat, but unfortunately I can’t say anything (laughs). What I can say is that we will start selling tickets in January (2026) and then we hope to have some announcements. I’m counting on your presence, I think we have an event that players will really enjoy, and for those who don’t know about gamescom yet, what are you waiting for? You will have plenty to enjoy!
About The Author
