
All the news you need to know from Germany's big gaming event
We might not have E3 anymore, but at least we have Gamescom. The Cologne, Germany-based gaming extravaganza is the summer's last must-see event before a busy fall season packed with new game releases. As such, Gamescom Opening Night Live included too-many-to-count new first looks at previously announced games and plenty of surprise reveals.
From The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past to Tides of Annihilation, Gamescom Opening Night Live was packed with exciting announcements and trailers. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest games that were showcased.
CD Projekt Red closed the show with the upcoming The Witcher 3 expansion, which will be released in 2027 — a full 12 years after the base game came out. In its first trailer, we got an idea of Songs of the Past’s story and a new chain weapon for Geralt. A developer joined host Geoff Keighley on stage and said Songs of the Past would be Geralt's "last adventure" before the series passes the torch to Ciri. The Witcher 4 wasn’t shown off, but at least we know CDPR is targeting a 2028 release window for Ciri’s new adventure.
The Witcher 3 is also getting a remaster with upgraded visuals, new finishers, expanded photo mode, new Signs FX, and so much more. It'll be a free upgrade for all The Witcher 3 owners on Sept. 29. Also, the previous expansions Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine will be made free for all players starting Tuesday.
After its Summer Game Fest reveal, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation popped up during Tuesday’s stream. A new trailer showed off more of the final installment in the remake trilogy, and director Naoki Hamaguchi revealed it will launch spring 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X simultaneously. Mark your calendars, y’all!
Gears of War: E-Day made an appearance with a Locust-filled campaign trailer. It looks like what you’d expect from the two-decade-old series, and that’s not a bad thing. Gears of War: E-Day is out soon on Oct. 6 for Windows PC and Xbox Series X.
Genshin Impact publisher Hoyoverse opened Gamescom ONL by announcing Nodusfall. It looks like Hoyoverse’s Elden Ring, in a way. Nodus Fall will be action-packed and playable in co-op.
The next Rainbow Six game is Rainbow Six Tactics. It looks like XCOM meets Tom Clancy, which sounds like the perfect marriage. It will be out next year.
The anime RPG Ananta showed off its setting and combat in a new trailer, and it continues to look like "anime GTA" three years after it was revealed at Gamescom 2023. It will be out Jan. 15, 2027 for Android, iOS, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC.
Horror fans got a new look at the next Silent Hill, which boasts an impressive cast. Silent Hill: Townfall will be a first-person horror game, and looks quite spooky. It’ll be out on Sept. 24 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
After Expedition 33 star Jennifer English stepped down from the lead role in the upcoming Tides of Annihilation, internet sleuths deduced that Resident Evil Requiem's Angela Sant'Albano would step into the role. That was confirmed in a new trailer for the Arthurian legend-inspired action RPG, which is still without a release date.
From Unrelated Studio, Lofsong received a moody gameplay trailer. It has a stunning art style, and looks to be a mix of Limbo and Journey. It’ll come to Windows PC and Xbox Series X.
Capcom shared a new trailer for Mega Man Dual Override, a slick 2D adventure. The trailer debuted the new character Twinkle Girl, seen fighting Mega Man. Capcom also leaned into the "Pragmata is secretly a Mega Man game" fan theory by teasing that a Mega Man skin pack for Pragmata is on the way.
Rayman Legends Retold, a remake of 2013's Rayman Legends, is out in a matter of weeks. It’ll be released Oct. 1 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. It will bring back the Macarena.
PUBG Ded.Net is a new multiplayer roguelike FPS, and it looks delightfully bonkers. A beta is on the way for the shooter that's set in the 1990s.
We finally got our best look yet at how Game of Thrones: War for Westeros will play. It’s a real-time strategy game that has you playing as some of your favorite GOT characters, like Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. You’ll command armies in battles across the Seven Kingdoms, and can get a taste of those skirmishes early in 2027.
Dust Origins is a bloody isometric action game with a mix of shooting and melee combat. Its creatures look gnarly as hell.
Exodus, a sci-fi third-person shooter, showed off a new team member: a talking octopus in a mech suit. Hell yeah. Exodus looks like it’ll scratch BioWare fans’ Mass Effect itch when it launches next year on April 7, 2027 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
D&D fans will want to keep an eye on Warlock, a third-person action game. Maggie Robertson (Resident Evil Village’s Lady Dimitrescu) took to the stage to show off its gameplay. Looks creepy! We dig it. It'll be out next year for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
1,001 Threads of Mizan was revealed with a very cool looking trailer. It’s inspired by 1,001 Arabian Nights and will feature magic attacks, djinn, and flying magic carpets. Yes, please! It’ll be out for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series, but doesn’t have a release window yet.
The Metro series returns next year with Metro 2039, the first new non-VR entry since 2019. A pair of developers took the stage to introduce the new gameplay trailer and discuss Metro 2039's development and how the team at 4A Games has been impacted by the Russian-Ukranian war. It’ll be out in February 2027 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
Agent 47’s next Celebrity Elusive Target is Snoop Dogg. You’ll be able to test out Hitman: World of Assassination for free for a whole month starting Aug. 27 until Sept. 26.
Set in a desert and featuring grisly vehicles while people fight for supplies — I’m not describing Mad Max, but Afterworld. It’s a post-apocalyptic survival strategy game that’s heavy on the Mad Max vibes.
Viewers were treated to a riveting musical performance for Mewgenics. Keighley then announced the roguelike will be heading to Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X on Sept. 8.
Nodus Fall wasn’t Hoyoverse’s only game showcased. Petit Planet is on the way, a cozy galactic life simulation with a final beta test arriving later this year for mobile and Windows PC.
Featuring tunes from Olivia Rodrigo, Muse, and more, Stage Tour is an upcoming rhythm game. It looks a lot like Guitar Hero, and will land on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X on Dec. 10. That's soon!
Sega’s Crazy Taxi: World Tour is on the docket for next year, and it got a new multiplayer-focused trailer on Tuesday. You can sign up for a forthcoming network test to get crazy yourself.
Give no quarter to your dinosaur enemies in Turok: Origins, the next entry in the long-running series. It’ll be playable in first- and third-person, and will arrive on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
Halo and Battlefield veteran developers have formed Octopus Panic, and the studio showcased its new game on Tuesday, Gravhounds. It’s a co-op shooter where you play as jacked dogs. It’ll arrive in early access later this year.
Never doubt that there’s a Lego game for everybody. City builder Lego Skylines was revealed, and will allow you to build a metropolis out of bricks.
Path of Exile 2 is an action RPG that’s been out in early access since 2024. It will launch into 1.0 on Dec. 11 as a free-to-play game for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
Behaviour Interactive showcased its next shooter, Exterminauts.
Ubisoft showed off a spiffy trailer for Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake. The 1999 classic strategy game gets an impressive and colorful visual upgrade.
The cyberpunk action game No Law received a new gameplay trailer full of first-person action. So many dudes get their heads blown off. It’ll arrive sometime next year.
Ontos, a spiritual successor to horror classic Soma, received a new disturbing AF trailer. Watch at your own risk, ‘cause the type of experiments it features are unsettling as hell.
Inscryption developer Daniel Mullisn is back with Pony Island 2: Panda CIrcus, which arrives on April 27, 2027. It looks like a much goofier type of weird than Ontos, and served as a nice palette cleanser.
Zoopunk is an upcoming action RPG that stars a squad of combat-ready animals, like a sword-swinging rabbit. Its fights against robots look stellar, but it’s still without a release date.
The first-person, Napoleon-starring Soulslike Valor Mortis is almost here. It looked as cool as ever in a new trailer, which reaffirmed its Oct. 13 release date.
The team behind Battletoads and Disney Illusion Island announced its next game. Dlala Studios is working on Murals, which has a very distinct and painterly art style. It’ll be out in 2027 for Windows PC.
During the preshow stream, Capcom dropped an update to the Onimusha: Way of the Sword demo ahead of its launch next week on Sept. 4.