It’s that time of year when it's fun to just wildly speculate (and make some educated deductions) about what we might see from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, direct from gamescom 2026. Little is known ahead of time this year – a few games and studios have been teased, but for the most part the show is a complete mystery, and so this gives me plenty of room to dream about what surprises the show may have in store.
Taking place on August 25 at 11am PT/2pm ET/8pm CEST, here’s how to watch the stream. Let’s not waste any more time, though, and get straight into what to expect from it.
It’s going to be a big night for a couple of the most popular RPGs to ever exist. We’re officially getting our first look at The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past, the third expansion to Geralt’s landmark adventure, coming a whole 12 years after the base game’s release. Co-developed by CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory, it’s being described as a prologue of sorts to the upcoming The Witcher 4. Soon, the mystery behind the new, third sword Geralt is holding in the artwork may be revealed, as well as plenty more fans are eager to learn all about, including the expansion’s location and when in The Witcher timeline Songs of the Past is set.
Speaking of old games being revisited, we’ll be getting another look at Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the last part of Square Enix’s remake trilogy. The project’s director, Naoki Hamaguchi, will be in attendance to show us what’s next for Cloud and the gang, but what exactly could we see? June’s SGF gave us a healthy dose of Highwind action, showing off how we’ll be able to skydive from the iconic airship down to any part of the open world we choose, as well as glimpses into how new party members Vincent Valentine and Cid will control in combat. So, what’s next? Perhaps a deeper dive into one or both of those characters, or maybe a more story-focused sneak peek?
We do know that story is exactly what we’ll be seeing more of from Gears of War: E-Day, though. A brand new trailer for the prequel will be shown at ONL, which will, presumably, include Marcus Fenix slicing up some Locusts. Game of Thrones: War for Westeros will have its gameplay reveal trailer shown off, too. The real-time strategy game puts you in control of one of the fantasy series’ major forces, from the Starks to the Night King’s White Walkers, as you attempt to rewrite Westeros history.
Other games confirmed for the show include Ananta, an upcoming free-to-play open-world game from NetEase that looks to be incorporating all sorts of action into its futuristic city setting. It certainly looks very ambitious, and we’re keen to see more, including, hopefully, a reveal of its release date. Then there’s Ontos, a new sci-fi horror game from Soma and Amnesia studio, Frictional Games. Starring Stellan Skarsgård as one of the occupants of its creepy lunar hotel called Samsara, we’re intrigued to find out more. Action RPG Showa American Story is also set to show up, with a new look at the game that places you in the shoes of a stuntwoman exploring a post-apocalyptic United States. It will be joined by Stage Tour, the rhythm game aiming to pick up where Guitar Hero and Rock Band left off. Then there’s Mewgenics, for which a musical performance is planned on stage. Could some sort of announcement be made for the cat-based tactics game? DLC or a console release, maybe?
Now for the fun part. What reveals and surprises may await us at ONL? Well, there are a whole host of games coming in September that would presumably love to stand out in the crowd. A big stage like this is the perfect opportunity. These include Marvel’s Wolverine, Control Resonant, Silent Hill: Townfall, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, to name but a few. New trailers for all of these are distinct possibilities.
Moving into October, Call of Duty has somewhat of a tradition of turning up at gamescom to show off a slice of action. Modern Warfare 4 is this year’s offering from Infinity Ward, and is currently available to play in beta. Also due in October is Phantom Blade Zero. We did just get a chunky look at it at the recent State of Play, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see even more of its flashy sword combat here.
Looking beyond this year, Fable is set to be one of 2027’s biggest games, and we’d love another look at Playground Games’ reboot. Even more gameplay would be a treat, especially an insight into the RPG’s combat. We’ve seen a lot of the world and the people living it; now, let’s see how we can kill them. I imagine there’ll also be a fair number of people dying in Metro 2039, in what looks like the shooter series’ darkest chapter yet. With it supposedly coming early next year, a good look at gameplay would be welcomed.
What other games would you like to see pop up? Perhaps God of War Laufey? Exodus? If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, perhaps Persona 6 or the Ocarina of Time remake? And no, there won’t be any GTA 6. That’s two days later on Netflix.
Let us know in the comments about what you’re most excited about at gamescom’s Opening Night Live show, taking place on August 25, 2026 at 11am PT/2pm ET/8pm CEST.
Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.