Gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live takes place on August 25, bringing another major round of game announcements, trailers and world premieres ahead of the main Cologne event.
The showcase begins at 11:00 am PT, 2:00 pm ET, 7:00 pm BST and 8:00 pm CEST. It will be streamed through the official Gamescom channels on YouTube and Twitch.
Several major games are already confirmed for the presentation, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s new Songs of the Past expansion, Final Fantasy VII: Revelation and Gears of War: E Day. More unannounced games and surprise trailers may also appear during the event.
Gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live schedule
| Region | Start time |
|---|---|
| Pacific Time | August 25 at 11:00 am |
| Mountain Time | August 25 at 12:00 pm |
| Central Time | August 25 at 1:00 pm |
| Eastern Time | August 25 at 2:00 pm |
| Brazil Time | August 25 at 3:00 pm |
| British Summer Time | August 25 at 7:00 pm |
| Central European Summer Time | August 25 at 8:00 pm |
| China Standard Time | August 26 at 2:00 am |
| Japan Standard Time | August 26 at 3:00 am |
| Australian Eastern Standard Time | August 26 at 4:00 am |
| New Zealand Standard Time | August 26 at 6:00 am |
The event will once again be hosted by Geoff Keighley and is expected to feature announcements from major publishers and studios across Xbox, PC and other platforms.
The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past will make its debut
One of the biggest confirmed appearances is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Songs of the Past.
The expansion brings Geralt of Rivia back for another adventure more than a decade after the original game launched. It is currently scheduled for release in 2027 and will receive its first major showcase during Opening Night Live.
Its appearance is especially notable because CD Projekt RED is also preparing The Witcher 4 for 2028.
Songs of the Past could therefore become an important release for the franchise while players wait for the next mainline game.
Final Fantasy VII Revelation and Gears E Day are also confirmed
Final Fantasy VII: Revelation will also appear during the showcase.
The game is the final part of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy and has already been confirmed for a Spring 2027 release window.
Gears of War: E Day is another major title expected to receive fresh footage. The game explores an earlier period in the Gears timeline and has become one of Xbox’s biggest upcoming releases.
These three games are among the highest profile confirmed titles, but the full lineup extends well beyond them.
More than a dozen games are already confirmed
Other games expected to receive trailers, announcements or updates include Ananta, Tides of Annihilation, Metro 2039, Game of Thrones: War for Westeros, Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons, Silent Hill: Townfall and Path of Exile 2.
The confirmed list also includes Monster Hunter Outlanders, Cinder City, EXODUS, AION2, Pony Island 2, Valor Mortis, Showa American Story and ONTOS.
| Confirmed game | Expected appearance |
|---|---|
| The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past | Expansion reveal |
| Final Fantasy VII: Revelation | New showcase |
| Gears of War: E Day | New trailer or update |
| Metro 2039 | New appearance |
| Silent Hill: Townfall | New footage |
| Path of Exile 2 | Update |
| Monster Hunter Outlanders | Showcase |
| EXODUS | New appearance |
| Ananta | New footage |
| Tides of Annihilation | Update |
As usual, the confirmed lineup is unlikely to represent everything shown during Opening Night Live.
Major gaming showcases frequently reserve some announcements for the broadcast itself, meaning new game reveals and unexpected trailers remain possible.
With The Witcher 3 returning through Songs of the Past, Final Fantasy VII: Revelation moving closer to release and Gears of War: E Day continuing its rollout, Gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live already has several major announcements lined up before any surprises are considered.
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