What to Expect from ONL | gamescom 2026

It’s that clip of twelvemonth erstwhile it's amusive to conscionable wildly speculate (and marque immoderate educated deductions) astir what we mightiness spot from Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, nonstop from gamescom 2026. Little is known up of clip this twelvemonth – a fewer games and studios person been teased, but for the astir portion the amusement is simply a implicit mystery, and truthful this gives maine plentifulness of country to imagination astir what surprises the amusement whitethorn person successful store.

Taking spot connected August 25 astatine 11am PT/2pm ET/8pm CEST, here’s however to ticker the stream. Let’s not discarded immoderate much time, though, and get consecutive into what to expect from it.

What We Know

It’s going to beryllium a large nighttime for a mates of the astir fashionable RPGs to ever exist. We’re officially getting our archetypal look astatine The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past, the 3rd enlargement to Geralt’s landmark adventure, coming a full 12 years aft the basal game’s release. Co-developed by CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory, it’s being described arsenic a prologue of sorts to the upcoming The Witcher 4. Soon, the enigma down the new, 3rd sword Geralt is holding successful the artwork whitethorn beryllium revealed, arsenic good arsenic plentifulness much fans are anxious to larn each about, including the expansion’s determination and erstwhile successful The Witcher timeline Songs of the Past is set.

Speaking of aged games being revisited, we’ll beryllium getting different look astatine Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the past portion of Square Enix’s remake trilogy. The project’s director, Naoki Hamaguchi, volition beryllium successful attendance to amusement america what’s adjacent for Cloud and the gang, but what precisely could we see? June’s SGF gave america a steadfast dose of Highwind action, showing disconnected however we’ll beryllium capable to skydive from the iconic airship down to immoderate portion of the unfastened satellite we choose, arsenic good arsenic glimpses into however caller enactment members Vincent Valentine and Cid volition power successful combat. So, what’s next? Perhaps a deeper dive into 1 oregon some of those characters, oregon possibly a much story-focused sneak peek?

We bash cognize that communicative is precisely what we’ll beryllium seeing much of from Gears of War: E-Day, though. A marque caller trailer for the prequel volition beryllium shown astatine ONL, which will, presumably, see Marcus Fenix slicing up immoderate Locusts. Game of Thrones: War for Westeros will person its gameplay uncover trailer shown off, too. The real-time strategy crippled puts you successful power of 1 of the phantasy series’ large forces, from the Starks to the Night King’s White Walkers, arsenic you effort to rewrite Westeros history.

Other games confirmed for the amusement include Ananta, an upcoming free-to-play open-world crippled from NetEase that looks to beryllium incorporating each sorts of enactment into its futuristic metropolis setting. It surely looks precise ambitious, and we’re keen to spot more, including, hopefully, a uncover of its merchandise date. Then there’s Ontos, a caller sci-fi fearfulness crippled from Soma and Amnesia studio, Frictional Games. Starring Stellan Skarsgård arsenic 1 of the occupants of its creepy lunar edifice called Samsara, we’re intrigued to find retired more. Action RPG Showa American Story is besides acceptable to amusement up, with a caller look astatine the crippled that places you successful the shoes of a stuntwoman exploring a post-apocalyptic United States. It volition beryllium joined by Stage Tour, the bushed crippled aiming to prime up wherever Guitar Hero and Rock Band near off. Then there’s Mewgenics, for which a philharmonic show is planned connected stage. Could immoderate benignant of announcement beryllium made for the cat-based tactics game? DLC oregon a console release, maybe?

Hopes and Dreams

Now for the amusive part. What reveals and surprises whitethorn await america astatine ONL? Well, determination are a full big of games coming successful September that would presumably emotion to basal retired successful the crowd. A large signifier similar this is the cleanable opportunity. These see Marvel’s Wolverine, Control Resonant, Silent Hill: Townfall, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, to sanction but a few. New trailers for each of these are chiseled possibilities.

Moving into October, Call of Duty has somewhat of a contented of turning up astatine gamescom to amusement disconnected a portion of action. Modern Warfare 4 is this year’s offering from Infinity Ward, and is presently disposable to play successful beta. Also owed successful October is Phantom Blade Zero. We did conscionable get a chunky look astatine it astatine the caller State of Play, but we wouldn’t beryllium amazed to spot adjacent much of its flashy sword combat here.

Looking beyond this year, Fable is acceptable to beryllium 1 of 2027’s biggest games, and we’d emotion different look astatine Playground Games’ reboot. Even much gameplay would beryllium a treat, particularly an penetration into the RPG’s combat. We’ve seen a batch of the satellite and the radical surviving it; now, let’s spot however we tin termination them. I ideate there’ll besides beryllium a just fig of radical dying successful Metro 2039, in what looks similar the shooter series’ darkest section yet. With it supposedly coming aboriginal adjacent year, a bully look astatine gameplay would beryllium welcomed.

What different games would you similar to spot popular up? Perhaps God of War Laufey? Exodus? If you’re feeling peculiarly ambitious, possibly Persona 6 oregon the Ocarina of Time remake? And no, determination won’t beryllium immoderate GTA 6. That’s 2 days aboriginal connected Netflix.

Let america cognize successful the comments astir what you’re astir excited astir astatine gamescom’s Opening Night Live show, taking spot connected August 25, 2026 astatine 11am PT/2pm ET/8pm CEST.

Simon Cardy is simply a Senior Editor astatine IGN who tin chiefly beryllium recovered skulking astir unfastened satellite games, indulging successful Korean cinema, oregon despairing astatine the authorities of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him connected Bluesky astatine @cardy.bsky.social.