On Tuesday evening, Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 kicked off with host Geoff Keighley and co-host Eefje “sjokz” Depoortere took to the event arena to present a packed line-up of world premieres, new trailers and glimpses of gameplay across various titles.
Gamescom is the world’s biggest gaming event and the most important business platform for the international games industry. From 24 to 30 August 2026, it brings together developers, trade visitors, companies and millions of fans from around the world – on site in Cologne and digitally across the globe.
Key highlights featured a new look at Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the antagonist reveal for Gears of War: E-Day, and the reveal of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past. 5,000 fans watched the show live on site, with millions more joining via livestream from around the world. The show gave fans a sneak peek at the new releases and events coming to Gamescom in the days ahead.
More highlights will be presented on August 27 at 7PM BST / 8PM CEST / 2PM EST / 11AM PST during the Gamescom awesome indies show – live on Gamescom’s channels.
As Gamescom kicks off today, more than 1,700 exhibitors are entering the halls of Koelnmesse for the first time ever. This sets a new record, topping the 1,600-plus exhibitors initially expected. Additional registrations from group participations have recently increased the number of exhibiting companies significantly. Together with the exhibition space of 233,000 m², which is fully booked for the first time this year, this underscores the event’s global significance as the world’s biggest gaming event.
Over the next few days, visitors will be able to experience a diverse program of new releases, shows, community events, indie titles and cosplay – plus a wide range of opportunities for business, networking and professional exchange. Tickets for Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday are already sold out. Many of the program highlights can also be streamed online for free on Gamescom’s official YouTube and Twitch channels