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Video games fans travelling to the Gamescom convention next week have been warned to expect heightened security at the event.
Gamescom begins in the German city of Cologne on Wednesday, with the new Call Of Duty and Fifa 17 football game among the biggest attractions.
However, visitors have been warned to expect increased security measures at the Koelnmesse centre in the wake of terrorist attacks across Europe in recent months.
“Due to the terrible incidents of the past weeks, the safety and preventions measures at Gamescom 2016 have been adapted. The measures apply for all participants of Gamescom,” organisers said in a statement.
Unlike the E3 convention in Los Angeles, Gamescom is widely open to fans who use the event to preview games due to be released in the coming year.
Many attendees also use the event to cosplay – wearing costumes based on their favourite characters from the gaming world, but organisers have asked them to not bring imitation weapons as part of outfits.
“Gamescom also lives from the creativity of your costumes and as such cosplayers are still heartily welcome,” the statement added.
“Due to the incidents of the past days, we would kindly ask for your understanding that all imitation weapons or weapon-like items forming part of your costume are not permitted at Gamescom 2016.”
The gaming convention, which began in 2009, is one of the biggest in the world with more than 300,000 fans expected at the event, many hoping to play upcoming titles for the first time.
Electronic Arts (EA) are one of the several well known publishers who will use the four-day show to give fans the chance to play upcoming games, including Fifa 17 and Battlefield 1, the studio’s First World War epic.
The next instalment in Activision’s hugely successful Destiny franchise, Rise Of Iron, is also set to be previewed at the show, alongside the new Call Of Duty – Infinite Warfare – which will feature Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington as the game’s villain.
Early on Monday, German media also reported an ‘axe and gun attack’ in Cologne city centre, where four men were said to have argued with another man and fought with axes before gunshots were heard. One man was in hospital with serious injuries, while two of alleged perpetrators have been arrested, according to the country’s media.
