The biggest gaming trade fair in the world, Gamescom, returns from August 26th to 30th. As a sellout for the first time, exhibitors like Xbox, Bandai Namco, Deep Silver, Focus Entertainment, Nintendo, NetEase, The LEGO Group (which raises more questions than anything), and many more are confirmed. But the real question is: What about the announcements? The world premieres, the sneak peeks, the confirmation of long-running rumors?
Well, there’s plenty on the docket. Let’s take a look at the 15 biggest announcements, either confirmed or rumored, starting with…
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation
One of the biggest games, if not the biggest, launching next year, Revelation finally brings the Remake saga to a close. Director Naoki Hamaguchi has been working the press circuit, revealing all kinds of details, so what could be left for this new look at Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25th? A release date wouldn’t be out of the question, though you have to wonder if maybe it’s a bit too early. Regardless, even if it drops some revelatory (no pun intended) reveals, it’ll have to work to steal the spotlight from…
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past
The first paid expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in over 11 years, Songs of the Past is getting its premiere trailer at Opening Night Live. And really, what CD Projekt RED may choose to showcase is anyone’s guess. A release date wouldn’t be completely out of the question, though depending on how far off it launches in 2027, the developer may be content with a vague release window (say, next Summer). Either way, we’re looking forward to getting back on the road, wherever it may lead, with Geralt once more.
NO LAW
Edgerunners 2 may be out in Fall, but the wait for a new Cyberpunk game is really starting to weigh heavily. That’s why NO LAW looks so intriguing, especially given Neon Giant’s work on The Ascent. Appearing on the show floor, we’re at least guaranteed some new gameplay, either of combat or the attention to detail that Port Desire has to offer, even if a release window remains up in the air.
Metro 2039
A new look probably means more extensive gameplay of 4A Games’ post-apocalyptic sequel. Could it be another haunting showcase? A typical day on the streets of oblivion? Maybe a reveal of some new weapons, and how the gameplay is inherently Metro, but much more so? Either way, maybe a solid release date is in order, especially since we already know it’s out in February 2027.
Silent Hill: Townfall
Spare a thought for Screen Burn. Not only is this the largest game it’s ever worked on, but it’s also the biggest that Annapurna has ever published, and it’s following up on the successes of Silent Hill 2 Remake and Silent Hill f. Releasing in a crowded window against other high-profile blockbusters doesn’t help, but who knows? It could show some impressive new gameplay (besides the almost 20-minute showcase that recently dropped), but a delay to early or mid-October wouldn’t be surprising either.
Ananta
An open-world, free-to-play action RPG that gives major gacha vibes…without a character gacha system? That’s Ananta in a nutshell, and since it’s set to appear at Opening Night Live after relative silence, that could mean playtest announcements and a launch window, ideally in 2027. What else it can offer beyond, once again, attempting to ape Grand Theft Auto 6 remains to be seen, but it should look nice, if nothing else.
Spyro: A Realm Beyond
While not explicitly confirmed for the show, Xbox has yet to announce the line-up for its livestreams on August 26th and 27th. Even then, it wouldn’t be surprising if it made an appearance at Opening Night Live, especially since we haven’t seen much since last June’s Xbox Games Showcase. With a Spring 2026 launch in mind, one would think that Toys for Bob would get the ball rolling on new details sooner rather than later.
Fable
What Xbox has confirmed is a live theater presentation for Playground Games’ Fable. Combat is the highlight, which makes sense with how little we’ve seen of it lately, and given the sheer scale of the experience, Xbox will likely take its time, carefully laying out every single aspect ahead of its launch in February 2027. I mean, as perhaps its biggest exclusive next year, you would hope that’s the plan, but we’ll take the new gameplay regardless.
Alien: Isolation 2
Making history? Experiencing five eras of Japan? The horrendous state of Crazy Taxi? That all sounds well and good, but we’re interested in Alien: Isolation 2, the long-awaited sequel to Creative Assembly’s first-person sci-fi horror. Expecting a release window seems a little unrealistic, but given that attendees can try out the Prologue, it may be farther along than expected. If the developer has a surprise planned, then your guess is as good as ours about when it could drop.
Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance
Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto promised more details on Monster Hunter Wilds’ first expansion, Ascendance, this Summer. So it wouldn’t make much sense to announce it at Summer Game Fest, drop a few details and then clam up until launch. There’s always Tokyo Game Show, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the development team took this opportunity to reveal some more monsters. A release window tease wouldn’t hurt either, though whether we’ll see it at Gamescom Opening Night Live or later in the week remains to be seen.
Clutch
Maverick Games’ open-world, narrative-focused racing game actually surprised us in its last showcase with its level of polish. It’s slated for the Future Games Show at Gamescom Showcase on August 26th, and a release date seems like the safest bet (especially since it’s already confirmed for early 2027). Then again, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a curveball of sorts such as, say, a free beta for players to try out and build some buzz.
Valor Mortis
As a fan of Ghostrunner, I’m really hoping that One More Level’s next title succeeds. I mean, a first-person Souls-like set in an alternative history Europe where the plague-ridden victims of Napoleon’s reign roam free just rolls off the tongue. Whatever it chooses to showcase, Valor Mortis has gone gold and a trailer is locked for Opening Night Live. Here’s hoping that extra polish and demo feedback paid off.
Mega Man: Dual Override
Also known as the title that made Half-Life fans collectively discombobulate at last year’s The Game Awards, Mega Man: Dual Override is playable on the show floor. What are the odds it gets a release date? Probably slim, but a new gameplay trailer and perhaps the winner of the Robot Master Design Contest, which will appear in the game as a boss, seem very likely.
ONTOS
Following a sudden delay to next year, Frictional Games announced that ONTOS will be part of Opening Night Live – which sounds like a threat more than anything. It also invites attendees to be a part of the “experiment” at its booth on the show floor, and at this point, I’m more terrified than curious. If it can keep that bizarre energy for its next trailer, we could be in for something special indeed.
Mystery Xbox Sequel
One of the games rumored to appear is actually something that insider NateTheHate teased from Xbox. After the equivalent of 20 questions, he claimed that it’s a sequel to a Microsoft-owned IP from an external developer that could launch this year. And before you hope for something more retro, it’s apparently a more recent IP. Ori 3 at long last? One could certainly hope, though whether it even appears or not is up in the air.
