Gamescom, Europe's biggest video game event, is almost here. Gamers, studios, industry professionals and journalists are descending on Cologne, Germany from Aug. 20 to 24 to explore upcoming games.
While E3 reigned in the US for decades, it never quite topped Gamescom, which has traditionally been one of, if not the biggest, games show in the world -- especially now that E3 is no more. Now that we're past June's Summer Game Fest, Gamescom is one of the last events in 2024 to offer early looks at the next big games coming later this year and in 2025.
Gamescom is a huge event, which drew 320,000 people last year to Cologne where the event is held. Many attendees are the public, who came to get their hands on games being previewed by games industry creators from one-person indie studios to massive publishers.
CNET is on the ground for Gamescom to see plenty of these new games, but fans will also get early looks through showcases like Opening Night Live. Games industry events ringleader Geoff Keighley hosts ONL, a trailer showcase that's already confirmed to show several upcoming games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Dune: Awakening and more.
Opening Night Live on Aug. 20 is the trailer-packed showcase that serves as a starting gun for Gamescom, which runs from Aug. 21 through 24. ONL kicks off at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CEST live at the Koelnmasse, the convention center in Cologne, Germany. The preshow for the event starts half an hour before.
Viewers at home can watch Opening Night Live on Gamescom's website, via YouTube livestream (which starts an hour before the show) or on the show host Geoff Keighley's Twitch account for The Game Awards.
Which new games will be shown at Opening Night Live?
We know some -- but not all -- of what will be shown during the 2-hour marathon of trailers and features: Check the YouTube video above for sneak peeks at what's to come. The event is put on and hosted by Geoff Keighley, who founded and runs Summer Game Fest in the US. Keighley tweeted an early list of games that will be featured in the show. This likely means all of the following will get trailers, though they could also include remote or on-stage developer chats.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Little Nightmares 3
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
- Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Dune Awakening
- Marvel Rivals
- Squid Game: Unleashed
- A new game from Tarsier Studios
- Sid Meier's Civilization 7
- Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
Given the event's length, there will surely be many other games shown off, and studios have been hinting -- for example, in this tweet from devs of the upcoming game Towerborne -- that they'll have something to announce at the event.
Watch this: Top 5 Trailers From Summer Game Fest 2024
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