PlayStation today confirmed it is the latest major publisher skipping the annual games conference this year.

Gamescom is the largest game show in the world thanks to its large audience, but that isn't stopping major publishers from pulling out of this year's festivities. Taking place August 24-28, this year's show marks the physical return of the event since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Despite this and the large audience it regularly draws, many of the industries largest names won't be attending.

In a statement to German site Games Wirschaft (translated by GamesIndustry.biz), PlayStation confirmed they won't be attending. Furthermore, they also won't showcase any announcements during Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live showcase. In addition to PlayStation, publishers Nintendo, Activision Blizzard, and Take-Two Interactive had already confirmed they won't be attending. So far, only Bandai Namco and Embracer Group have announced they'll be attending. Microsoft is the only console manufacturer that has not made any form of announcement regarding the event.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely altered the way publishers approach major events like E3 and Gamescom. Even before the pandemic kicked off, we had seen PlayStation, Nintendo, and EA strike out and hold their own events/streams independent of any event. It's unknown if we'll see major events make a comeback once the pandemic is truly behind us.