GamesIndustry.biz attended the eighth edition of Gamescom Opening Night Live on Tuesday evening, a fully digital showcase that filled the venue to capacity. Every seat was taken, and a host of gaming personalities were on hand.
Notably, Xbox’s senior leader Asha Sharma was spotted near the front of the room, playfully forming an "X" with her arms as the camera swept across the audience. The program began with Geoff Keighley delivering an unusually 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 then turned to the broader state of the industry, acknowledging the turbulence caused by massive layoffs and the surge in hardware prices linked to the AI component shortage.
"It’s no secret that the video‑game sector is in a period of rapid change," he said, "but despite those challenges developers around the globe are pressing on, crafting new experiences for players." The first trailer that rolled on the screen lit up the crowd with the word "Hoyoverse" flashing across the stage, prompting excited murmurs that reflected the worldwide popularity of titles such as Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. The next reveal was Nodusfall, a sleek cooperative action game that bears a clear visual and mechanical kinship to Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, tasking teams with hunting down massive dragon‑like beasts. That preview set the tone for the rest of the evening, which featured a pronounced presence from Chinese and Korean studios. Among the announced projects were Cinder City and Like or Die from NCsoft, 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 introduced a new life‑simulation title called Petit Planet, expanding its portfolio beyond the action‑RPGs that have defined its brand. Square Enix’s Naoki Hamaguchi took the stage to unveil Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, slated for a spring 2027 release. In a notable shift, the game will launch on every major platform at the same time, whereas the previous two entries in the series were timed exclusives for PlayStation. 4A Games representatives Jon Bloch and Pavel Ulmer followed with the trailer for Metro 2039, scheduled for February 2027.
Bloch described the project as a “dark, demanding experience that requires passion, discipline, and a team accustomed to working under irregular conditions.” Ulmer added that development had been “pretty rough, trust me.” The trailer opened with a bold caption reading “Proudly made in Ukraine,” underscoring the studio’s resilience amid ongoing conflict. The night’s undeniable headline, however, was the announcement concerning The Witcher 3.
The beloved CD Projekt Red title will receive a comprehensive remaster that upgrades combat, adds ray‑tracing, and incorporates a host of quality‑of‑life improvements. Even more generous, the upgrade will be distributed for free to anyone who already owns the original game, with the rollout beginning on September 29. In addition, the two original expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, will also be offered at no charge to base‑game owners, paving the way for the upcoming third expansion, Songs of the Past, expected in 2027. Level‑design lead Miles Tost explained that the studio has long wanted to give Geralt “one more story,” and a brief look at the new content showed the witcher wielding a fresh chain weapon.
Wizards of the Coast used the platform to promote the space‑opera Exodus, slated for an April 7, 2027 launch, and presented an extensive gameplay trailer for the Dungeons & Dragons title Warlock, which is slated for release next year but has not yet been assigned a specific date. Other notable trailers included Behaviour Interactive’s Exterminauts (in partnership with Level Infinite), a lighter‑hearted take on the Helldivers formula; Lego Skylines, a city‑building game that Paradox Interactive will publish; and Ontos from Frictional Games and Kepler, billed as a spiritual successor to Soma. MBC Game Studio, backed by the Saudi Arabian broadcaster MBC, revealed its first project, 1001 Threads of Mizan.
A particularly quirky moment came with the trailer for Showa American Story, where the protagonist attacks enemies wielding an American flag and an arm‑mounted drill. The crowd responded with a modest applause, suggesting that 4Divinity’s strategy of embracing eccentric, AA‑style titles may be resonating. RedOctane’s Stage Tour, a rhythm‑action guitar game, drew genuine cheers, indicating that fans are eager for the return of that genre. Nostalgia also had its moment.
Sega offered a first glimpse of Crazy Taxi World Tour, while Saber Interactive confirmed Turok: Origins for a spring 2027 debut. Heroes of Might and Magic III received news of a full remake, arriving 27 years after the original 1999 release. Indie highlights shone throughout the show. Unrelated Studio’s Lofsöng, Airship Syndicate’s Dust: Origins, and Daniel Mullins’ off‑beat Pony Island 2: Panda Circus (due April 27, 2027) all generated buzz.
The pre‑show segment added a few more announcements before the main event kicked off. Team17 revealed Worms: Galactic Tactics, an isometric turn‑based strategy game slated for 2027.
RollerCoaster Tycoon Wonderworks was announced for an early‑access launch, promising to retain the pixel‑art aesthetic of the classic series. Dlala Studios secured comedian Bob Mortimer to provide voice work for its title Murals. Indie studio Duck Reaction previewed Perceptum, a haunting experience set for 2027, featuring a trailer in which an elderly woman closes her eyes to commune with the afterlife. Finally, Amplitude Studios, now independent after separating from Sega in 2024, announced Humankind 2 for a 2027 release.
Studio head Romain de Waubert de Genlis previously told GamesIndustry.biz that the 2021 original was Amplitude’s most successful title both financially and in player numbers, raising expectations for the sequel.