GamesIndustry.biz attended the eighth edition of Gamescom’s 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 – for example, 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 an unusually personal opening address.
He recounted how, after last year’s event, he returned home to be with his ailing father, who passed away shortly thereafter. Keighley also took a moment to acknowledge the sector’s current challenges, noting that “the video‑game industry is changing and evolving,” with widespread layoffs and rising hardware costs driven by an AI‑chip shortage.
Despite those headwinds, he emphasized that developers worldwide continue to forge ahead, creating fresh experiences for players. The first trailer set the tone by flashing the word “Hoyoverse,” prompting excited murmurs from the audience.
This reaction underscored the global reach of Hoyoverse’s flagship titles such as Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. The showcase then unveiled Nodusfall, a sleek cooperative action game that bears a clear resemblance to Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, tasking teams with hunting down massive dragon‑like beasts. A noticeable trend this year was the prominence of Chinese and Korean studios.
Several titles from the region were highlighted, including 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 entry called Petit Planet, expanding its already diverse portfolio. Naoki Hamaguchi took the stage to present Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, slated for a spring 2027 release. Notably, the game will launch simultaneously across all major platforms, a departure from the previous two entries which were PlayStation‑exclusive launches.
The event also featured Jon Bloch and Pavel Ulmer of 4A Games, who revealed 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,” while the trailer proudly displayed the caption “Proudly made in Ukraine.” Undoubtedly the night’s climax was the announcement surrounding The Witcher 3.
The crowd erupted when CD Projekt Red confirmed a comprehensive remaster that includes revamped combat mechanics, ray‑tracing support, and a host of visual upgrades. Even more generous, the remastered edition will be offered as a free upgrade to anyone who owns the original game as of September 29. In addition, the two original expansions will be provided at no cost to base‑game owners, and a brand‑new expansion titled Songs of the Past is slated for 2027. Level‑design lead Miles Tost explained that the studio had long wanted “one more story” for Geralt, and a brief glimpse of the upcoming content showed the protagonist wielding a fresh chain‑weapon.
Wizards of the Coast used the platform to promote the space‑adventure Exodus, set for an April 7 2027 release, and also delivered an extended gameplay trailer for the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons title Warlock, expected sometime next year. Other notable reveals included Behaviour Interactive’s Exterminauts (in partnership with Level Infinite), a lighter‑hearted take on the Helldivers formula; Lego Skylines, a city‑building game published by Paradox Interactive; and Ontos from Frictional Games and Kepler, billed as a spiritual successor to Soma. MBC Game Studio, backed by the Saudi broadcaster MBC, introduced its debut project 1001 Threads of Mizan.
The quirky trailer for Showa American Story, featuring a protagonist wielding an American flag and an arm‑mounted drill, earned a modest round of applause, suggesting that 4Divinity’s strategy of leaning into eccentric AA titles may be resonating. Meanwhile, RedOctane’s Stage Tour sparked genuine cheers, hinting that the resurgence of rhythm‑guitar games is long overdue.
Nostalgia also made an appearance. Sega offered a first look at Crazy Taxi World Tour, while Saber Interactive confirmed Turok: Origins for a spring 2027 debut.
Heroes of Might and Magic 3 received news of a remake, arriving 27 years after its original 1999 launch. Indie highlights shone throughout the lineup: Unrelated Studio’s atmospheric Lofsöng, Airship Syndicate’s Dust: Origins, and Daniel Mullins’ wildly imaginative Pony Island 2: Panda Circus, slated for April 27 2027. The pre‑show segment delivered additional surprises. Team 17 announced Worms: Galactic Tactics, an isometric turn‑based strategy game arriving in 2027.
RollerCoaster Tycoon Wonderworks will soon enter Early Access, preserving the pixel‑art aesthetic of the classic series. Dlala Studios secured legendary comedian Bob Mortimer to voice the quirky title Murals. Indie studio Duck Reaction teased Perceptum, a 2027 horror experience featuring a haunting trailer in which an elderly woman closes her eyes to commune with the beyond.
Finally, Amplitude Studios—now independent from Sega since 2024—revealed Humankind 2 for a 2027 launch. Studio head Romain de Waubert de Genlis reminded GamesIndustry.biz that the 2021 original remains Amplitude’s most successful title both financially and in player count.