Fake cosplay weapons will be banned from the upcoming Gamescom video games convention in Cologne, Germany over heightened security in response to the recent terrorist attacks in Europe.
The annual summer convention will also feature increased security measures, and backpacks will be highly discouraged. Reports also indicate that that there will be a longer waiting time to get into the venue as thorough bag searches will take place, and the guidelines will also apply to members of the press and exhibitors.
Organizers also state that the annual Game Developers Conference, which takes place just before Gamescom at the same location, will also adopt the same rules, and attendees are advised against carrying their cosplay weapons in other places too “in consideration for the inhabitants and visitors of the city.”
“In the present days, the need for safety is a major issue for all parties involved,” said the CEO of the event’s Koelnmesse venue, Gerald Böse. “It is our aim to meet this requirement by adapting the safety measures and at the same time limiting Gamescom in all its facets as little as possible. We hope for the understanding and support of all participants.”
In July, an axe-wielding refugee from Afghanistan injured four passengers on a German train. July also saw an Iranian-German teenager kill 10 people in a shooting in Munich, whilst ISIS supporters screamed “Allahu akbar” at a memorial for the victims shortly after.
Islamic terrorist attacks in other European countries have also been on the rise this year, with the attack in Nice, France killing 84 people, and Brussels, Belgium killing 32. 130 people were also killed in Paris last year after a series of suicide bombers and gunmen orchestrated a massacre that lasted for hours.
Gamescom will take place between the 17th and the 21st of August.
Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington or like his page at Facebook.