St. Amelia’s past has had protests against an unknown attempt to disrupt the seemingly idyllic life its citizens once led, and Simon’s return to the town might be out of a feeling of responsibility and residual guilt. He’s been asked to return and “set some things to rest” by a mysterious old man, whom we suspect might have also had a hand in whatever befell the town. However, all that remains is an air of desolation that is as unsettling as we’ve been telling you about, while the radio is sure to open up a path to the game’s red-tinged otherworld at some point.

Well, we’ve got quite a list of folks who are bringing the game’s eccentric characters to life, with suitably somber takes on people whose lives have clearly been turned upside down but with glimpses of the personalities they used to be.

All in all, this one’s looking like Silent Hill at its finest, and is a potentially great follow-up to the franchise’s Japanese excursion last year. The trailer’s below if you’re looking for reasons to believe us.

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.

How far into the game this takes place is unknown, but Simon has a pistol. The problem is that the Otherworld is teeming with those fleshy monsters that won’t hesitate to attack on sight. Besides activating radios and creating noise to draw their attention, he can use the CRTV to see their locations and skillfully sneak past them.

When that fails, the revolver is good enough for putting them down in a hurry. A headshot appears to kill, so aim properly to conserve ammo. It isn’t a luxury in St Amelia, but there isn’t a lot to go around.

Case in point: when Simon enters a tenement building, teeming with these monstrosities. Tracking their locations through walls, he finally climbs into the floor below before the footage cuts to black. Interestingly, one tactic he can use to avoid combat is locking doors. If it works, it works.

Launching on September 24th, Silent Hill: Townfall will be available for PS5 and PC.

We cut to him exploring the town, which lies abandoned, using the CRTV to locate Zoe Ellis’s apartment (with clues popping up as you get closer). Upon entering, he discovers a myriad of puzzles, from a fuse box that requires a prepaid power card to activate the electricity to an organ donor box with a combination lock. Of course, Simon also finds a picture of himself and questions why Zoe would have it.

The first encounter with a monster is up next, and this is where the CRTV comes in especially handy. With tuning, you can see the threat through walls and sneak past. Simon fails to do so, of course, leading to a melee fight with nothing but a plank of wood as a weapon. He emerges the victor, but the trip through St Amelia is only just beginning.

Silent Hill: Townfall launches on September 24th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. A new trailer premieres at Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25th, but you can head here for more details on why the CRTV is so realistic with its distortions and tuning.

Since this is 1996, it captures the feel of CRT screens pretty realistically. But that’s because, as director/writer Jon McKellan recently revealed to Eurogamer, the team fed gameplay footage through actual analog devices and then did a few “modifications” to nail those distortions.

“We would take gameplay footage and cutscenes and actually run them through old hardware, old TVs, pocket televisions, to create something that was truly authentic. We would damage the cables, hold magnets to them, and then get that footage back into the game. That way, this pivotal tool doesn’t just look authentic; it really is authentic.”

Why not just give Ordell a regular map like other Silent Hill games? This is because it would “have an extremely different feel to the story.” Gameplay is one thing, but it seems the CRTV plays a pivotal role beyond that.

Perhaps it has a hand in influencing the different endings that players can unlock. McKellan and producer Motoi Okamoto confirmed that there are five in total, with two “secret” endings locked behind New Game Plus. Each ending is tied to how you play, whether it’s in aggressiveness or how much you investigate St. Amelia.

Silent Hill: Townfall is out on September 24th for PS5 and PC. You can find out about how the team is leaning into classic expectations while “massively subverting” them here.

While the company could have gone ahead with more remakes rather than also working on brand-new Silent Hill games, Okamoto noted that Konami wanted to avoid a “testing-the-waters-remake”, since he believes that players could immediately sense if a company was just testing the waters rather than fully committing to the series.

If Konami were to focus on more remakes, Okamoto said that, “at best, only about half of the original users will return with a remake”. In order to attract new and returning fans to the franchise en masse, he believes that more would have to be done with Silent Hill than simply focusing on remakes. This ultimately led to Silent Hill f and Silent Hill: Townfall both being announced alongside Silent Hill 2 Remake.

Interestingly, back in October 2025, Okamoto had spoken about how three Silent Hill games were announced simultaneously to show fans that Konami was serious about returning to the franchise. He even expressed similar sentiments about not simply testing the waters with remakes at the time.

“In 2022, we announced three titles: Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill f, and Silent Hill: Townfall,” he explained. “We didn’t want to just announce a single remake to ‘test the waters.’ We wanted people to feel how serious we were about reviving the series. Developing a remake and a new title simultaneously naturally involves risks, but we wanted to convey our commitment first and foremost.”

“Only when a new game is announced can the future of a series be seen. Users won’t feel motivated to engage with an IP unless they can sense it has a future. If the company takes a wait-and-see approach, so will the players. The company needs to show how serious it is so that users can get genuinely excited. I think that’s only fair.”

Moving forward, Okamoto has discussed the idea of Konami releasing a new Silent Hill game every year, be it a remake or an entirely new entry. So far, this schedule has played out like clockwork. Silent Hill 2 Remake was released in 2024 and was followed up with Silent Hill f in 2025. This year will see the release of Silent Hill: Townfall.

Speaking of which, Silent Hill: Townfall is being developed by Screen Burn for PC and PS5. More details are being revealed as we get closer to its September 24th release date, including the fact that it will have five distinct endings, two of which will be locked behind New Game+. Konami will also release a new trailer for the game on August 25th, during Gamescom Opening Night Live. In the meantime, take a look at our review of Silent Hill f.

But while Silent Hill: Townfall, Screen Burn’s newest mainline entry, seemingly starts in the same way, it may not progress in the same fashion. Humorously describing the start as “So far, so Silent Hill” to Eurogamer, writer/director Jon McKellan said, “There are themes that feel very reminiscent of Silent Hill. We are leaning into those expectations.

“We will be massively subverting those expectations, too. We want people to feel familiar with it, but leverage that. It’s leveraging that familiarity to build something new out of that that surprises players and takes them on a different journey, while somehow still feeling like Silent Hill.”

It’s interesting because of McKellan’s experience with the original Silent Hill, which he played while sick in his teens (and still doubts the validity of the experience). That this subversion comes from a fan’s understanding is interesting, but the goal remains the same – to draw people in.

Launching on September 24th for PS5 and PC, Silent Hill: Townfall is the first full-length first-person title in the series. While we’ve seen a decent amount of sneaking about, there’s plenty of combat, as the development team promises that melee battles will offer a “real scrap.” Be careful about how aggressive you are, though, because that’s one factor that can determine the ending.

There are five in total to unlock, with two secret endings tied to New Game+. Obviously we’ll need to wait for more details on what they offer, but in the meantime, a new trailer will debut at Gamescom Opening Night Live. What more could Screen Burn, Annapurna, and Konami reveal to keep the suspense burning? We’ll find out on August 25th.

“The choices you make as a player throughout will determine the ending, and it should feel that the ending is very appropriate to the experience you had. The goal is for the player to feel like it’s the natural conclusion to the story in terms of the way they played,” said McKellan. What exactly determines the type of ending received?

While “lots of different attributes” will “move the needle,” some of them include the level of aggression exhibited and how thoroughly you investigate. Unlike Silent Hill f, you won’t have to jump into New Game+ to unlock the other main endings, but it is required for the secret endings. What are the chances of the UFO ending featuring the adorable Shiba Inu making a return? Time will tell.

Silent Hill: Townfall launches on September 24th for PS5 and PC. Touted as one of the biggest games that Annapurna has ever published, it takes place on St. Amelia from the perspective of one Simon Ordell. How did he end up there? Why can’t he leave? Very little is known, save for that he needs to “put things right.”

That involves investigating his past while avoiding the monsters roaming the town, be it through brute force or subterfuge courtesy of a portable television known as the CRTV. A new trailer will be revealed on August 25th at Gamescom Opening Night Live, so stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

Of course, as one of the exhibitors, it will also have a “terrifying attraction” for those who visit the publisher’s booth on the show floor. Attendees can also go hands-on with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, the newest mainline title in the franchise from Evil Empire of Dead Cells fame.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 sadly won’t be playable, but there will be a “bipedal mechanical presence” to take photos with. A real-life-size Gekko? Don’t mind if we do. Finally, Yu-Gi-Oh! fans can go hands-on with the Trading Card Game and learn how it works (including the rules that competitors on the show never seem to follow).

Thus far, Konami has a pretty solid line-up for this year, with Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 out on August 27th, Silent Hill: Townfall arriving on September 24th and Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse launching on October 15th. As for the rest of Gamescom, which runs from August 26th to 30th, check out the full list of exhibitors here for more details.

From beloved franchises and characters taking to the stage, to ambitious new concepts and studios looking to make a mark for themselves, there’s a lot to look forward to on the horizon if gaming is your jam. Here are a few titles that we think come with a lot of expectations, but are more than capable of delivering on what they promise. The list starts with:

1. Grand Theft Auto 6

We thought it best to give this one its due right up top, since it carries the biggest weight of expectations that other games in the current console generation simply can’t match up to. Rockstar’s going to have to prove it still has what it takes to deliver generational leaps between its titles, beyond just nailing a title whose franchise formula is enough to make it a hit without even trying.

It’s going to have to justify a decade of waiting, most of it quite agonizing, a much-discussed delay very close to its 2025 release, and earn the aura of being the biggest game ever. It’s one of the potential benchmarks against which all open worlds that follow it will be measured, if its predecessor is any indication, and is going to be talked about well beyond its November 19, 2026, release on the PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

How much of that conversation is good remains to be seen, but we’re quite optimistic about this one’s chances.

2. Marvel’s Wolverine

Insomniac’s done pretty well with Spider-Man, capturing the tone and vibe of the comics and films, while building a narrative around Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and the rest of the franchise’s popular cast in ways that stay true to its narrative roots. But can it repeat the same with a character like Wolverine, who brings a literal polar opposite to all the things that made its last superhero effort a hit?

Logan fights differently, feels different, and is different to Peter in so many ways, it’s going to be an uphill task to avoid making him feel like Spidey with claws. But the limited glimpses we’ve been given of what’s on offer in this one show a perfect balance of the character’s near-immortality and a combat system that works well against enemies who are designed to take a beating from him.

The little bit of story that we know of is similarly well-executed, making us believe that the studio has another PS5-exclusive hit on its hands when this one hits the shelves on September 15, 2026.

3. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

Black Flag is Assassin’s Creed at its finest, no doubt about it. Edward Kenway was the perfect vehicle for bold changes to the gameplay loop, with a pirate-themed formula that worked very well to present his character arc. There’s a reason it’s among the most beloved titles in the franchise, and was a logical choice for a pretty ambitious effort at modernising it from the developer.

But a new combat system, rebuilt visuals, and quality-of-life touches run the risk of sanding away at the very soul of an experience that could make it feel out of place. We’re quite positive about it being the same freewheeling pirate adventure that we know and love, but is it going to be too different by being less messy than what we’re used to? We don’t have too long to wait to find out, as this one’s out on July 9, 2026 for the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

4. Halo: Campaign Evolved

Although everything we’ve seen of this one has been impressive, there’s still the nagging suspicion that it might not be enough to alleviate thoughts that the Halo franchise is relying on its past success when it finds itself at a creative slump. Like you, we’re hoping that isn’t the case, and that this one used Master Chief and Combat Evolved’s legacy well enough to ensure that the franchise has a future beyond the glory days of its Bungie era.

It’s a road that’s as risky as it is safe for the Halo brand, but we’re sure that this one’s a solid effort from Halo Studios. It drops on July 28, 2026, as listed by Xbox and is included with Game Pass.

5. Beast of Reincarnation

A single-player Sekiro like game with a very unique premise and a combat system that’s looking more sublime with every showcase it gets are obvious reasons to think that Game Freak might be flying too close to the sun with this one. Can a studio that’s used to making great Pokémon games suddenly take on a challenge like this one?

Turns out that this one might just have everything it needs to prove anyone who doubts it wrong, and do it with style in the process. That goes beyond the scope to specific aspects like the tech, visuals, action design, and the evident high performance requirements it’s going to bring to current-gen hardware given how its experience is set up.

The swordswoman/dog-dependent combat system is going to have to be more than just a gimmick when this one gets out on August 4, 2026, on PS5.

6. Fable

This is a franchise that Xbox should have returned to a long time ago in our opinion. But it’s better late than never, right? Well, not quite. It’s still a risky venture, considering that this modern reboot of a beloved IP has to prove that the franchise’s signature humor is still capable of drawing laughs, and that Albion feels alive enough to make the player feel like they’re indeed at the center of a much grander adventure.

Playground needs to nail down a shift from its Forza-focused approach to a full-blown RPG that’s going to live or die based on how layered it is, and how those layers balance each other out. Xbox is going to be hoping its 1000+ NPCs can make you keep coming back for more when this one drops on February 23, 2027, with Game Pass on day one.

7. The Blood of Dawnwalker

Rebel Wolves might have some really seasoned hands among its ranks, but it still needs to prove itself as a new studio. Weigh those expectations against what The Blood of Dawnwalker has to offer, and you’ve got a title that screams of ambition and innovation in a post-Clair Obscur world. That’s an uphill climb even for the rarest of talent, but Coen looks like he’s the perfect vampire-human hybrid to give this one some forward momentum.

The time-as-a-currency mechanic looks like it’s going to test his abilities quite well, just as well as it supports the story’s choice-based direction, the combat, and the emotional payoff of the consequences to all the choices you made, which are touted to extend beyond this one in a line of planned sequels to it. That’s a lot of pressure for the potential start of a brand-new saga that begins on September 3, 2026, being playable on the PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

8. Phantom Blade Zero

We weren’t afraid to bet big on this one as early as last year, and what we’ve seen of it so far hasn’t changed that opinion in the slightest. But that doesn’t change the fact that those very expectations might be the biggest challenge for its versatile protagonist to beat. Can all the style, obvious substance, and slick combat and traversal mechanics manage to impress us all beyond the first few hours?

If there ever was a game that seems too good to be true, this one’s it. But we’re quite positive that it’s got enough depth and challenge that will work well with great level and enemy design and a combat rhythm that’s quite impressive when it drops on October 29, 2026, bringing its wuxia-inspired experience to the PS5.

9. Silent Hill: Townfall

Following up a very impressive last outing with Silent Hill f, Townfall has two big shoes to fill: it needs to match or exceed the quality of its predecessor, and manage to be an excellent Silent Hill game in the process. More than that, it needs to show us that the franchise has enough meat on its bones to have a future beyond remakes and banking on the nostalgia it brings to those of us lucky enough to witness its rise to fame and prominence.

It needs to show us new horror instead of repackaged trauma, which is saying something considering all the places this franchise has taken us to. But with a full-length, self-contained experience based in Scotland, and a healthy balance between its exploration, new mechanics, and puzzles, we don’t see why this one can’t succeed when it drops on September 24, 2026.

10. Onimusha: The Way of the Sword

The team behind Resident Evil has had quite a good year, but it still needs to prove that it has managed to make this one a modern action franchise that weaves in Soulslikes elements while retaining what made it special over the years. It needs to show us how the classic Onimusha franchise formula can still manage to capture an audience in 2026, with measured swordplay, counter attacks, soul absorption, and everything else that puts it on the map shines through well enough to make it stand out.

It’s releasing right beside The Blood of Dawnwalker, which means it could face some stiff competition from a rival it never saw coming, but we think it’s sure to find its takers, and anyone choosing the other title is bound to visit this one at a later time.

And that’s it for this one. We can’t wait to see if each of the games we’ve talked about here manages to achieve the lofty goals that it’s tackling. But with all the talent that’s backing up the experience they offer, we’re certain that they’re going to be very enjoyable anyway.

And that’s good news for a lot of us, as we’re going to be pretty spoiled for choice in the coming few months.