The District at gamescom 2026: Featuring marqed agency and Freaks 4U

marqed agency GmbH is set to launch a competitive gaming space called The District at gamescom 2026, taking over a 3,000-square-meter area that brings the founders of the now-defunct Berlin agency Freaks 4U Gaming back to the Cologne venue where their previous company operated a similar setup last year.

The District will cover over 2,000 square meters in Hall 8 and nearly 1,000 square meters in the adjacent Outdoor Area P8. Notable brands like SK Gaming will occupy around 800 square meters, alongside Deutsche Telekom, Subway, SanDisk, and REWE. The event is scheduled for August 26-30 at Koelnmesse.

marqed has also confirmed the participation of brands such as KitKat, Nongshim, Techniker Krankenkasse, AGON by AOC, Philips EVNIA, GIGABYTE AORUS, HP HyperX, Maverick Games, Philips OneBlade, Acer, Logitech, Porsche, PwC, Sony, and TCOMAS.

Financial details regarding the arrangement have not been revealed.

“Not every brand needs to be everywhere,” stated Marija Haenisch, founder and CMO of marqed agency. “For us, it starts with understanding who a brand truly wants to connect with and in what environment it can authentically engage.”

This new area is a continuation of a concept that was introduced last year under different management.

Freaks 4U Gaming had previously announced the Pro Arena for gamescom 2025, a 2,500-square-meter esports and community hub. SK Gaming was the first esports organization to commit, securing a 700-square-meter entertainment area that hosted the final of the Equal eSports Cup in League of Legends and the trophy presentation for Deutsche Telekom’s Magenta eTrophy in Fortnite. The gamescom Director described Freaks 4U Gaming as “a strong and experienced partner.” The space was branded as the Knabe Kola Pro Arena in Hall 8.

Much of the setup from the Pro Arena will be carried over to The District. The exhibitor list for the 2025 space included SK Gaming alongside REWE, Chiquita, Deutsche Telekom, SanDisk, and Amaran, with several of these brands returning for the 2026 event. However, Chiquita, Amaran, Schwarzkopf, GX Trust, Duplo, and Team Liquid will not be present this time.

The company responsible for the Pro Arena is no longer in operation.

On November 21, 2025, the Charlottenburg District Court initiated preliminary insolvency proceedings for Freaks 4U Gaming GmbH, appointing attorney Susanne Berner as the preliminary administrator. The majority shareholder, NODWIN Gaming, decided not to provide additional capital and wrote off its investment. The parent company, Nazara Technologies, recorded a provision of ₹384 crore INR (approximately $45 million USD) related to the holding, contributing to its first quarterly loss at the standalone level.

On April 1, 2026, Berner informed the court that the estate was insufficient to cover the costs of the proceedings, as noted in the published insolvency docket. The notice was made public on April 8. Under German insolvency law, administrative claims are settled in a specific order, and unsecured creditors typically receive nothing.

During this period, four new companies were registered in Berlin within eleven days. Public records indicate that heartbase group GmbH was established on January 30, 2026, with a share capital of €50,000 EUR ($57,800 USD), followed by toplane agency GmbH on February 5, onethreefive gaming GmbH on February 7, and marqed agency GmbH on February 9, each with €25,000 ($28,900). All four companies are registered at the same address as Freaks 4U Gaming GmbH, and Michael Haenisch serves as the sole managing director for each.

Shareholder lists filed with the court reveal that heartbase group GmbH owns 100% of marqed agency, onethreefive gaming, and toplane agency. heartbase group is nearly equally owned by three individuals: Michael Haenisch (33.4%), Marija Haenisch (33.3%), and Matthias Remmert (33.3%). Michael Haenisch co-founded Freaks 4U Gaming in 2011 and led it until its insolvency. All shareholder lists were dated January 20, 2026, indicating that the structure was established shortly before the new companies were registered, while the Freaks 4U proceedings were ongoing.

The commercial register lists Haenisch as the sole managing director of marqed agency GmbH, with Marija Haenisch holding Prokura, a form of statutory signing authority; Remmert holds Prokura at onethreefive gaming. marqed’s website introduces its team by first name only, including “Micha, Founder & CEO,” but its legal notice identifies Michael Haenisch as the chief executive responsible for the site’s content. The announcement does not reference Freaks 4U Gaming, heartbase group, or Michael Haenisch.

Some of The District’s brand lineup is attributed to this new structure. The announcement credits KitKat, Nongshim, and Techniker Krankenkasse for their involvement in the Techniker Prime League, which is described as a product of “sister company onethreefive gaming GmbH.” Riot Games has licensed that league to onethreefive gaming for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, having previously renewed Freaks 4U Gaming’s operator license for 2025 through 2027 before the insolvency. This means that sponsorship opportunities held by one heartbase subsidiary are being transitioned into event inventory sold by another.

The timing is particularly notable given the tight competition for floor space this year. gamescom announced in July that all available areas for 2026 were fully booked. This marks the first time the event has sold out, following a record 1,568 exhibitors from 72 countries in 2025, occupying a total area of 233,000 square meters. A newly established company securing a significant space allocation in this context is quite remarkable.

While the business has shifted, the financial situation remains unchanged. The Riot license, the anchor organization, and much of the Pro Arena’s sponsor lineup are now under companies fully owned by heartbase group, where the co-founders of Freaks 4U hold a combined two-thirds stake, all registered at the same address as the insolvent company. Creditors are left with an estate that, according to the administrator, cannot cover the costs of its closure.