Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026: How to Watch and What to Expect

The 2026 edition of Gamescom, the annual video game expo in Cologne, Germany, returns on Wednesday, August 26. The event will be kicked off by Gamescom Opening Night Live, the live showcase that takes place on the evening before the trade show opens every year. The show will feature game announcements, trailers, and gameplay reveals from publishers.

Gamescom Opening Night Live will be broadcast live from Cologne, Germany, on August 25 at 8pm CEST (11.30pm IST). The show will be approximately two hours long and will feature world premieres, exclusive announcements, and surprises, the Gamescom website promises. Opening Night Live will be hosted by Geoff Keighley.

The in-person show will be livestreamed digitally on Gamescom and The Game Awards official YouTube and Twitch channels. It can also be viewed on the official Gamescom website and in the livestream embedded below once the show begins.

What to Expect from Gamescom Opening Night Live

Gamescom Opening Night Live pre-show will begin 30 minutes before the main event at 8pm CEST (11pm IST).

Some of the games that will be featured at Gamecom Opening Night Live have already been confirmed. Earlier this month, Square Enix announced it would share a new look at Final Fantasy VII Revelation, with game director Naoki Hamaguchi presenting the segment.

On Monday, CD Projekt Red confirmed that it would share the first look at The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Songs of the Past expansion at Gamescom Opening Night Live.

Other games confirmed for the event include Gears of War: E-Day, Ananta, Tides of Annihilation, Metro 2039, Game of Thrones: War for Westeros, and Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons.

Aside from the confirmed games, the show will likely feature plenty of surprises and world premiere reveals. Upcoming titles like Marvel's Wolverine, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Control Resonant could get new looks at Gamescom Opening Night Live.

Beyond Opening Night Live, several publishers will host their booths at the Gamescom show floor. Microsoft will broadcast a live show of its own starting at 4pm CEST (7.30pm IST) on Wednesday, August 26 and Thursday, August 27. The Xbox broadcast is confirmed to feature upcoming games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Fable, Minecraft Dungeons 2, Gears of War: E-Day, Metro 2039, Stranger Than Heaven, Alien: Isolation 2, and more.