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7 Gamescom Opening Night Live reveals that got us hyped
The opening ceremony of Europe’s biggest games show dropped some insane reveals. Here are the ones that had us jumping out of our seats, including Final Fantasy VII Revelation and The Witcher III.
Gamescom – Europe’s biggest gaming event – is now in full swing in Cologne, Germany, and it all kicked off with an electric opening ceremony hosted by industry veteran Geoff Keighley and esports legend Eefje 'Sjokz' Depoortere. Fans and journalists attended for massive world premieres and unexpected updates on highly-anticipated games coming in the next year and beyond. Here are the five announcements that had us buzzing with excitement.
01
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered + Songs of the Past
We knew that Polish publisher CD Projekt Red would be in attendance to give us a look at the upcoming expansion for The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, and they did not disappoint, with a cinematic trailer for Geralt’s last outing as the main protagonist of this storied fantasy series, which will take us to the new realm of Letten.
What we didn’t count on was the surprise announcement of a remastered version of the original game, featuring a huge suite of new features including improved graphics, enhanced combat, revamped movement, a reworked skill tree and much more. Even more surprising was the confirmation that this new version of the acclaimed RPG would be completely free to owners of the base game. Additionally, the two previously paid expansions – Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine – will now be completely free to owners of the base game too, meaning that players who skipped these expansions can now enjoy them with improved graphics and gameplay free of charge. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt Remastered launches on September 29, while Songs of the Past will arrive some time next year.
02
Final Fantasy VII Revelation
RPG fans were eating well at this year’s Gamescom show as we also got a fresh look at the third and final instalment in the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy – Final Fantasy VII Revelation. Introduced by series director Naoki Hamaguchi, the action-packed trailer showed off the three colossal superbosses known as WEAPONs and some dynamic action shots of the new FITS system. This customisation system allows characters to switch roles by wearing different outfits – so it's basically an excuse for us to play dress-up with our favourite JRPG heroes. We also got a look at some new traversal options, including parachuting down from the Highwind airship and zipping onto ledges with Yuffie’s ninja tools. This all points to an even more open world with fewer limits on exploration. Eagle-eyed fans will have also spotted the Gelnika submarine – hinting towards one of the most memorable sequences from the original game. Final Fantasy VII Revelation will drop in Spring 2027.
03
Nodus Fall
Chinese powerhouse developer HoYoverse had a big presence during ONL, but by far their most exciting announcement was for a new action-RPG called Nodus Fall. The game adopts a more mature dark fantasy tone, straying away from Hoyo’s usual anime-inspired style, with dynamic and bloody action. The game has a focus on co-operative play and looks to have Elden Ring-style combat and exploration. No release date was set, but this is one to keep an eye out for in future shows.
04
Gears of War: E-Day
The blockbuster Xbox exclusive Gears of War: E-Day got a new trailer at ONL, this time focused on the narrative, which takes place some years before the original game, telling the tale of the Locust’s first emergence on the planet Sera. The trailer featured emotions as explosive as the action as we saw a young Marcus and Dom taking on the Locust threat alongside some fan favourites and new characters. The game revs into gear on October 6, 2026.
05
Metro 2039
Ukrainian developers 4A Games made a triumphant return to Gamescom with a high-octane trailer for the next instalment in the highly-acclaimed first-person shooter series Metro. Metro 2039 looks to be even grittier than previous titles in the series, with stealthy night-vision gameplay, spooky spectral creatures, and an intense interrogation sequence. Expect this stunning shooter to test your limits when it lands in February 2027.
06
Stage Tour
It’s always nice when a long-dormant genre makes a return, giving us a hit of potent nostalgia. Fans of Guitar Hero and Rock Band will be thrilled to learn that plastic instruments are making a return with Stage Tour, a new rhythm game from RedOctane Games. The setlist looks packed with nostalgic tracks and newer hits from bands like Paramore, Motley Crue, Metallica, blink-182 and many more. The game boasts 90+ songs and 180+ Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer guitars. You can play the game with a gamepad or PC keyboard, but for the best experience, you’ll want to pick up a bundle, including a guitar controller, drum kit and microphone. You can start kicking out jams when the game launches on December 10, 2026.
07
Silent Hill: Townfall
Konami’s venerable horror franchise returns with a new title just in time for spooky season, as Silent Hill: Townfall emerges from the fog on September 24. The new trailer gave us the meatiest look at the game yet, revealing a few of the terrifying creatures that will no doubt be haunting our dreams when we get our hands on the game. We also got confirmation of some exciting additions to the voice cast. Alongside Jovan Adepo (3 Body Problem, The Odyssey), the cast is bolstered by Terry O’Quinn, who you may remember as John Locke from Lost, and Kezia Burrows (Observation), who are sure to bring some dramatic weight to this eerie survival horror game.
Although the Gamescom announcements may be over, we still have one last big game reveal with the Grand Theft Auto VI Extended Look, debuting on Netflix on August 22. Geoff Keighley will also return for more announcements, and of course, a few awards, with The Game Awards on December 10.
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