GamesIndustry.biz reported live from Gamescom’s Opening Night Live on Tuesday, marking the eighth edition of the digital showcase. The venue was completely filled, with no empty seats in sight, and a host of gaming personalities were on hand. Xbox’s senior leader Asha Sharma was spotted near the front, striking a playful "X" with her arms as the cameras swept across the crowd.
The evening began with Geoff Keighley delivering a surprisingly personal opening address. He spoke about returning home after last year’s event to be with his ailing father, who passed away shortly thereafter. Keighley also touched on the current challenges facing the industry, noting that "it’s no secret the video‑game sector is evolving," referencing the wave of layoffs and the surge in hardware prices driven by an AI‑chip shortage.
Despite these headwinds, he emphasized that developers worldwide continue to press forward, crafting new experiences for players. The first trailer of the show flashed the word "Hoyoverse," prompting excited gasps from the audience and underscoring the global reach of hits such as Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. The next reveal was Nodusfall, a sleek cooperative action game that bears a strong resemblance to Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, with teams of players hunting down dragon‑like beasts. The presence of Chinese and Korean studios was unmistakable throughout the broadcast.
Highlights included Cinder City and Like or Die from NC, PUBG: Ded.Net from Krafton, Ananta and Sea of Remnants from NetEase, Zoopunk from Ti Games, and Tides of Annihilation from Chengdu‑based Eclipse Glow Games. Hoyoverse also presented a new life‑simulation title, Petit Planet, adding another layer of variety to the lineup.
Naoki Hamaguchi took the stage to unveil Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, slated for a spring 2027 release. Notably, this installment will launch on all platforms simultaneously, a departure from the previous two titles which were timed exclusives for PlayStation.
Jon Bloch and Pavel Ulmer of 4A Games appeared next to showcase the trailer for Metro 2039, scheduled for February 2027. Bloch described the project as "dark, demanding a lot of passion, discipline, and a team used to working without peace or regularity," while Ulmer admitted the development had been "pretty rough, trust me." The trailer opened with a proud declaration: "Proudly made in Ukraine." The show’s climax belonged to The Witcher 3.
The crowd erupted when it was announced that the beloved RPG would receive a comprehensive remaster, featuring upgraded combat mechanics, ray‑tracing support, and a free upgrade for anyone who owned the original game as of September 29. In addition, the two original expansions will be offered at no cost to base‑game owners, and a third expansion, Songs of the Past, is set for a 2027 launch. Level‑design lead Miles Tost explained that CD Projekt Red had long wanted to craft "one more story" with Geralt, and a brief glimpse of the upcoming content showed the witcher wielding a new chain weapon.
Wizards of the Coast used its slot to present the space‑adventure Exodus, arriving on April 7 2027, and a lengthy gameplay trailer for the Dungeons & Dragons title Warlock, also slated for next year but without a fixed release window. Other notable trailers included Behaviour Interactive’s Exterminauts, a lighter‑hearted take on Helldivers 2 from Level Infinite, Lego Skylines – a city‑builder published by Paradox Interactive – and Ontos from Frictional Games and Kepler, billed as a spiritual successor to Soma.
MBC Game Studio revealed its debut project, 1001 Threads of Mizan, funded by the Saudi Arabian broadcaster MBC. The tongue‑in‑cheek trailer for Showa American Story, featuring a protagonist wielding an American flag and an arm‑mounted drill, earned a modest applause, suggesting 4Divinity’s strategy of embracing quirky AA titles may be paying off. RedOctane’s Stage Tour prompted genuine cheers, indicating that a revival of rhythm‑action guitar games is long overdue.
Nostalgia moments arrived with Sega’s first look at Crazy Taxi World Tour, while Saber Interactive confirmed Turok: Origins for a spring 2027 release. Heroes of Might and Magic 3 will receive a remake, arriving roughly 27 years after its original 1999 debut. Indie highlights shone as well: Unrelated Studio’s Lofsöng, Airship Syndicate’s Dust: Origins, and Daniel Mullins’ eccentric Pony Island 2: Panda Circus, slated for April 27 2027.
Pre‑show announcements added Worms: Galactic Tactics from Team 17, an isometric turn‑based tactics game due in 2027, and RollerCoaster Tycoon Wonderworks, which will head to Early Access with a pixel‑art aesthetic reminiscent of the classic. Dlala Studios’ Murals secured legendary comedian Bob Mortimer for voice‑over work. The indie studio Duck Reaction previewed Perceptum, a haunting title due in 2027, with a trailer showing an elderly woman closing her eyes to commune with the beyond. Finally, Amplitude Studios announced Humankind 2 for 2027, following its 2024 spin‑off from Sega.
Studio head Romain de Waubert de Genlis had previously told GamesIndustry.biz that the 2021 original was Amplitude’s "most successful game ever both financially and in number of players."