Board Game News, September 2026: SPIEL Essen Countdown, Asmodee Buys Welcome To…, CMON's Lifeline
Four weeks out from the biggest week on the tabletop calendar, the industry is busy. This month's board game news has a record-sized SPIEL Essen, the Ark Nova designer back in the awards race, a big acquisition in the roll-and-write world, and a publisher that just got a second chance. Here's what happened, and what it means for your shelf.
SPIEL Essen 2026 goes all eight halls
SPIEL Essen runs October 22–25, 2026, and for the first time it will use all eight halls at Messe Essen, plus the Galeria. That's about 81,200 m² of floor space, with roughly 1,000 exhibitors. The organisers say exhibition space is sold out and there's a waiting list.
Last year's fair drew around 220,000 visitors, and the extra hall makes a new record likely. The organisers' latest update puts Saturday at 90% sold, so if you're going, book now or pick another day.
A few things worth knowing:
Peter Mohrbacher, the American illustrator, is this year's official fair ambassador.
Werewolves of Millers Hollow turns 25. Asmodee and Rocket Beans TV host a live game on Thursday evening, October 22, at the Grugahalle.
The European Golden Demon painting competition comes to Essen, which is good news if you paint miniatures.
The SPIEL app is updated, and exhibitors are already filling in their new-release lists.
Why it matters: Most of the games you'll see in stores through next spring get launched or shown here. The novelty lists in the app are the best early look at what's coming.
Deutscher Spielepreis: three finalists, one familiar name
The public vote is in. The Deutscher Spielepreis 2026 finalists, listed alphabetically, are:
Game | Designer(s) | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
Artengarten | Mathias Wigge | Feuerland |
Boss Fighters QR | Lukas Zach, Michael Palm | Pegasus Spiele |
Galactic Cruise | T. K. King, Dennis Northcott, Koltin Thomson | PD-Verlag |
Mathias Wigge designed Ark Nova, so Artengarten is worth a look if that's one of your heavy favourites. Galactic Cruise has already won the Dice Tower game of the year and the Golden Geek heavy game of the year, which makes it the one to beat. The final order is announced on October 21, the day before the fair opens.
A quick recap in case you missed July: JinxO (Dito) won the Spiel des Jahres, and Reiner Knizia won the Kennerspiel with Rebirth. That makes him the first designer to win all three Spiel des Jahres categories.
Asmodee buys Welcome To…
On August 31, Asmodee announced it had bought the Welcome To… line from French publisher Blue Cocker. Benoit Turpin's series first came out in 2018 and did a lot to make flip-and-write a genre of its own: everyone plays at the same time from a shared set of cards. According to Asmodee, the range has sold hundreds of thousands of copies.
Why it matters: Asmodee says it will develop new Welcome To… games and keep the line widely available. For players, that most likely means easier reprints and more spin-offs. It's also another sign that big publishers want proven family games.
Pro tip: Welcome To… isn't one of our built-in games, but you can set it up as a custom game in end-game scoring mode and your results will go into your stats like any other game.
CMON gets a $19m lifeline
CMON, the publisher known for miniature-heavy crowdfunded games, has raised about $19m in new capital. At the start of August, it reported just $368,000 in bank and cash balances.
Existing shareholders took up only 7.76% of the rights issue. The placing agent sold the rest to new investors. Earlier in September, the company warned of a "prolonged structural downturn". It has already halved its workforce, sold major game IPs and paused new crowdfunding campaigns.
Why it matters: CMON has lost almost $23m over 2024 and 2025. If you back big miniature campaigns, this is a clear reminder that the model is under pressure. The new money gives CMON time. It doesn't mean it's out of trouble.
What's next
October 21: Deutscher Spielepreis winners announced in Essen.
October 22–25: SPIEL Essen 2026. Check the novelty lists in the app now and build your wishlist before the crowds arrive.
Heading to Essen, or hosting your own game weekend at home instead? Have Game Night mode ready and your champion will be decided long before Sunday.
Sources
Sign in to rate this post.
You Might Also Like
Comments
Sign in to leave a comment
Sign In