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Good afternoon gamers!
This is the very start of my Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 coverage. If you’re just tuning in, then don’t worry – you haven’t missed anything yet!
With the show set to take this evening, I’ll be walking you through the build up, sharing the latest news as it happens, and a few of my own personal predictions then bringing you a steady stream of announcements once the broadcast begins.
ICYMI: the latest Nintendo Direct is underway
It’s not technically part of Gamescom, but the timing of this latest Nintendo Direct is definitely deliberate and likely an attempt by Nintendo to squeeze in their own short presentation before attention shifts to the big Opening Night Live show.
The Direct is focused on the upcoming racing game Kirby Air Riders, and is our first real look at the title since its announcement back the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct earlier this year.
The broadcast is currently live right now, so you can tune in if you’re interested in learning all about it.
Is Hollow Knight: Silksong news on the cards?
Hollow Knight: Silksong is easily one of the most anticipated games right now. A sequel to the 2017 indie hit, fans have been waiting for more news about this upcoming instalment for more than six years.
Could we hear more about it tonight? It’s definitely likely, as presenter Geoff Keighley has been teasing something Silksong related.
Yesterday, he posted a photo of himself wearing a clown nose to his X / Twitter account, captioned “First time? See you tomorrow for Gamescom ONL.” It might not seem like much, but it’s a reference popular meme featuring the protagonist of Hollow Knight wearing a similar clown costume.
First time? 🤡 See you tomorrow for @gamescom ONL. pic.twitter.com/59ef5sFysJAugust 18, 2025
He actually posted the original meme last year, alongside clarification that there would be “no Silksong“, so this seems like an intentional call-back.
Hopefully we’re in for some kind of exciting update regarding the game tonight.
We’re in for a live music performance
Geoff Keighley has confirmed that we will be in some music tonight.
It will be the first ever live performance of music from the popular RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from composers Alice Duport-Percier and Lorien Testard.
Exactly which songs will be performed is currently up in the air, but lovers of the game definitely won’t want to miss this…
Share your own thoughts or predictions
Have any burning Opening Night Live thoughts or predictions?
You can send them my way by posting to X / Twitter and tagging us @techradar! Alternatively, you can email me directly using the handy email button at the top of my author page.
Whether you have created your own bingo card, have a list of wild hopes and dreams, or just want to offer some comments on the whole Opening Night Show, I’ll be sharing the very best contributions here on this page throughout the evening.
Just remember to keep it PG, or I’ll get in big trouble with my boss and we don’t want that, do we?
Expect a Lords of the Fallen 2 reveal
It looks like Lords of the Fallen 2 will be revealed later tonight, following a fairly transparent teaser posted by the official Lords of the Fallen X / Twitter account.
The image, which shows part of a character in gothic armor, features the word “tonight” with the letter “i” replaced by the Roman numeral for two.
I was a fan of the latest Lords of the Fallen game, which released back in 2023. In fact, I did a expansive cover feature with a multiple-page preview of the title back when I worked on the UK’s PlayStation Magazine, so it’s a series that’s pretty close to my heart
Despite the name, Lords of the Fallen 2 would actually be the third Lords of the Fallen game. That’s because of 2014’s Lords of the Fallen, which is not to be confused with its 2023 successor.
Our agents on the ground have arrived
I might be stuck behind a computer screen this year, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have some agents on the ground right now.
My colleagues Rhys and Rob reached Cologne, Germany, this morning and are currently scouting things out and attending a few early appointments ahead of Opening Night Live.
They tell me it’s quite quiet over there at the moment, as I’m sure you can imagine, but I’m expecting all of that to change as the show nears.
This is a bit of a weird one, but I have received confirmation that there will be at least one automobile present in the halls at Gamescom 2025.
It’s a special version of the Aston Martin Vantage coupe, with custom artwork based on the Victoria Housekeeping Co. faction from Zenless Zone Zero.
It will be showed off at the game’s booth in Hall 6, booth C-031, where visitors will be able to bask in all of its glory. Those going to the booth will also be able to complete check-in missions, and win prizes including a special 1:18 scale model of the Aston Martin car.
You can find full details on the competition via the X / Twitter post below.
Aston Martin × Zenless Zone Zero Collab: Gamescom Event AnnouncementDear Proxies, complete missions at the event site to receive exclusive collab merch! You’ll also have a chance to win a limited edition 1:18 scale model car of the 2024 Aston Martin Vantage!#zzzero… pic.twitter.com/6JsKf8qBh7August 18, 2025
Last year Hoyoverse had a huge booth in the public area, and I expect Gamescom 2025 to be no different.
The brand’s presence at the trade show also suggests that there will be some interesting announcements during the Opening Night Live show, potentially new seasonal content for games Zenless Zone Zero or Genshin Impact.
We’re going to learn all things Black Ops 7
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will be getting an expansive trailer as part of Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025. The follow-up to the successful Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, this next entry takes the series back to a futuristic setting for the first time in years.
It’s set in 2035 and will feature a co-op campaign set right after the events of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. As usual, you can expect expect a wealth of multiplayer modes and a separate zombies mode too.
The game was first revealed back in the June Xbox Games Showcase, with a trippy cinematic trailer that showed off its dark tone and plenty of futuristic technology.
We also know that Black Ops 2 protagonist David Mason will be returning. Leaks also indicate that fan-favorite villain Raul Menendez will play an import role in the plot, which is set to take place across both Japan and Avalon – a fictional European city featured in Black Ops 6.
The game is set to release on November 14, 2025, so it’s about time we learned more about it.
We’ve finally got some Hollow Knight: Silksong news!
This is not a drill – we finally have some official news about Hollow Knight: Silksong!
Developer Team Cherry will be hosting a ‘Hollow Knight: Silksong – Special Announcement’ in just under 48 hours time.
What will this ‘special announcement’ be? It’s too early to say, but I think that it’s almost certainly going to be a release date of some kind.
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier is claiming that there won’t be a Silksong release date tonight, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we still see a trailer.
Not feeling the hype? Check out this sizzle reel
You can catch a Gamescom Opening Night Live sizzle reel over on the official Game Awards YouTube channel, potentially giving us some insight into what’s in store.
It features loads of titles, with some of the most significant being Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Ghost of Yotei, and Resident Evil Requiem. I also spotted some Silent Hill f in there, not to mention a clip from the Fallout TV show.
Just under three hours to go…
We’re now just under three hours away from the start of the Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 show!
That’s plenty of time to get anything done that you might want out of the way before the action begins. You’re going to want to make sure that you have a clear schedule, as this year’s show is shaping up to be massive.
Queues are starting to form
Geoff Keighley has posted an update from the Opening Night Live 2025 venue, showing plenty of eager gamers waiting to get in to the show.
Fans have been lining up all day to get into @gamescom ONL tonight — see you all soon!! pic.twitter.com/RCrwRXajDDAugust 19, 2025
Tickets are currently sold-out, so I’m expecting the hall to be absolutely packed tonight.
Don’t forget about the pre-show!
The main Gamescom Opening Night Live stream might be the biggest attraction, but that doesn’t mean that you should forget about the pre-show.
Set to start 30 minutes before the main event, Keighley has already confirmed that it will “have multiple new game announcements”.
They’re generally smaller titles than the ones that that are featured in the main event, but if you have an interest in indies you might see something that you really like the look of.
You’ll be able to watch it via the regular Opening Night Live stream too, so it’s the perfect thing to have on in the background before the event begins in full.
Remember those early appointments that I mentioned? My colleague Rob has just been to see ASUS and spotted some absolutely adorable PC hardware.
It comes as part of the Asus x Hatsune Miku collection, with special TUF gaming gear based on the design of the iconic virtual singer. All of it looks incredible, and I’d love to have it as part of my PC setup.
I most like the look of the special edition TUF Gaming H1 Gen 2 headset, not to mention the TUF Gaming Mini Wireless Mouse and TUF Gaming K3 Gen 2 keyboard. Of course, the matching TUF Gaming P1 mouse pad is an essential too.
Could this be the cutest gaming hardware that we will see over Gamescom? It’s a definite possibility.
We’ll be getting new info on the Fallout TV show
We already know that we will be seeing more of the Fallout TV show tonight in a first look at its second season.
I was a big fan of the original season, which is an Amazon Prime Video exclusive. The storytelling isn’t the best around, but it’s still an impressively faithful adaptation of the games’ world. It’s got plenty of action and a surprising amount of gore, but also the franchise’s trademark comedic elements to balance it all out.
I’m hoping that we will see some other Fallout reveals tonight on top of the show, ideally a remaster or remake of one of the older games. With the second season on the way, it would be the perfect time to revisit Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas.
Playable Silksong has been sighted!
Full #SilkSong Nintendo Booth @ Gamescom pic.twitter.com/xMdlIQpfwpAugust 19, 2025
Here’s some big news for anyone waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong out there.
The game will apparently be available to play at a large Gamescom booth in a demo that seems to be running on Nintnedo Switch 2 systems.
The information comes from a streamer, who has posted some interesting videos that they claim were taken from inside the halls at Gamescom.
The demo stations currently appear to be password protected though, so I don’t think we’re going to see any real gameplay until the event is fully open.
Just one hour to go…
Here’s an important time reminder for you!
The Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 show is now exactly one hour away with the pre-show set to begin in just 30 minutes.
Grab some snacks and get comfy, because it will be here before you know it…
Our on-site team are starting to head to the venue
I’ve just received an update from our crew on the ground, who are now busy making their way over to the Opening Night Live venue.
I’ll be able to give you some updates on what the atmosphere is like over there once they arrive!
The first Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 images are here!
The Xbox store page for Black Ops 7 has been updated ahead of the show, giving us our first look at some in-game screenshots!
We see plenty of robots, as you might expect given the futuristic setting, and what are likely some launch multiplayer maps. There are also some soldiers wearing very Black Ops 2 inspired body armor, plus a glimpse of the Zombies crew.
You can see them all for yourself here.
We’ve arrived!
Our team has arrived at Gamescom 2025!
Here’s the current situation outside the convention center. It’s not super busy, but we already know from Keighley’s posts that lots of people are waiting indoors for Opening Night Live 2025 to begin.
Look at that lovely clear sky though. I’m a little jealous…
The pre-show has officially begun
Hold on to something! The Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 pre-show has officially begun. Now is the time to get the stream open in your browser window (or tune in above), as the announcements start right now.
The pre-show is usually home to smaller indie games, with the bigger reveals saved for the main event. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth watching though, as you might see something that you really like the look of.
Fresh photos from the show
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My team on the ground has been feeding me a steady stream of photos from inside the hall, where the atmosphere looks electric.
You can browse some of them above, including a beautiful selfie from both Rob and Rhys. Look how happy they are!
It’s happening folks!
The Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 show has now started.
The man, the myth, the legend Geoff Keighley is on stage right now, so expect the announcements to start coming thick and fast.
Of course, I’ll be here to keep you up to date with everything as it happens.
Here’s a look at Keighley’s outfit for the night – not too shabby. Not sure about the tan shoes, though…
He’s currently welcoming the audience to the show and has said that “E3 didn’t die, it just moved right here to Germany.”
He has now moved on to the usual talk about the industry, reflecting on the success of indie games Peak and Date Everything…
We’ve now moved onto Hollow Knight: Silksong, which Keighley promises will launch this year! There’s some gameplay on screen too!
Was that it? That was about ten seconds of Silksong action. Hopefully the upcoming Team Cherry stream will shed a lot more light on the game.
We’re starting with Black Ops 7!
It looks like we’re going to kick things off properly with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7!
The trailer seems to be really focusing on the campaign, showing some absolutely bonkers looking visuals with scenes of twisting skyscrapers and all kinds of strangeness.
We’re also getting a look at what I assume is the central cast of characters, which makes sense given the apparent co-op focus.
And a quick look at multiplayer too it seems and zombies! Now the developers are on stage to outline some of the themes of the game and explore its 2035 setting.
Oh! Now some more details on the co-op campaign. It will be playable with up to four players, or solo if you prefer.
It seems that missions will be quite open this time around, which is reminding me a little too much of the incredibly lacklustre open-world levels in Modern Warfare 3.
Ever wondered if Keighley is reading an auto-cue? Our team on the ground can now officially confirm… yes!
The co-host has arrived
Our co-host Eefje Depoortere, or Sjokz, has hit the stage!
Lords of the Fallen 2 revealed!
No we’re on to the first proper game reveal of the show!
It’s Lords of the Fallen 2, in a flashy cinematic trailer that showcases some impressive looking visuals. It’s got the same style as its predecessor, but is set 100 years after the previous game.
Keighley described it as both “bloodier” and “faster”, which is promising! It’s set to come out in 2026
Here’s an unexpected reveal!
An anime based on Sekiro Shadows Die Twice called Sekiro No Defeat has been unveiled. It will be available on the Crunchyroll streaming service.
A new Lego Batman game is coming
A new Lego game has been shown off, and it looks stunning! Lego Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight.
It seems to have a massive open world, plus some Arkham series inspired combat. It’ll be here in 2026.
A developer is on stage to tell us that Lego Legacy of the Dark Knight demo will be available on the show floor.
The game will track the entire of Bruce Wayne’s journey it seems, with plenty of iconic moments and “deep cut references”.
As with previous Lego games, I’m expecting a wide roster of playable characters taken from across the Batman universe.
On to the next game, a “long awaited sequel” that fans have been eager to see…
No, it’s not Bloodborne 2.
It’s a new Warhammer strategy game! Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4!
It will be out in 2026!
Some Monster Hunter Wilds news now! A Final Fantasy 14 collaboration, plus a new Title Update that introduces a new monster.
Both are coming in “late September” – whatever that means.
Ryōzō Tsujimoto and Naoki Yoshida (or Yoshi-P) from Capcom have taken to the stage to discuss the crossover!
This upcoming crossover apparently came about after the success of a similar Final Fantasy crossover in Monster Hunter World.
Our resident Final Fantasy 14-head Rhys, who is currently sat watching the show in Cologne, is very happy with this news it seems.
We’ve just seen some screenshots of the event in Final Fantasy 14, with a new mount and what looks like a Monster Hunter Wilds quest.
That is coming later this year in October.
What the heck is this? Some kind of horror game, I thought it was Resident Evil at first but now I’m not sure if it’s another Capcom title or not.
Turns out it’s not a game! It’s a trailer for… Gamescom?
Some Onimusha: Way of the Sword action now!
It looks like a lot of fun, with some meaty combat and creepy, undead enemies in an ancient Japanese setting.
Some kind of anime game now? I think we might be back.
We’re seeing loads of interesting visuals, it looks like it’ll be some kind of factory management game? With some combat thrown in there too.
How unique!
It’s Arknights: Endfield! Off the top of my head, that’s one that’s been announced for some time, but the fresh look is still appreciated.
A proper strategy game sequel now!
Europa Universalis 5 – fans of staring at maps all day will undoubtedly love this one.
A fresh Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion trailer! There’s a demo available today, if you’re interested in trying out a cool-looking mech game.
A little first-person shooter game now, called Voidbreaker. It’s out now!
We have actors on stage!
I repeat, actors on stage. Some of the cast of the Fallout TV show are here, to discuss the upcoming season. It sounds like it will be a direct continuation of the first season, which probably isn’t much of a surprise.
Now it’s time for a teaser trailer ahead of the season’s release in December!
Here’s a quick look at the posters for that upcoming season!
Now it’s time for some Indiana Jones DLC action
Time for a proper look at the The Order of Giants DLC for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
It looks like the perfect continuation of everything that made the base game so good, and it’ll be here on September 4.
Wonder what I thought of the original game? Check out my Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review!
We also just got confirmation that the game will be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026!
Another trailer for the Deadpool VR game. It sure looks like a Deadpool game, and it’s absolutely in VR.
It’s coming as a Meta Quest 3 and 3S exclusive.
Time for a fresh world premiere!
There’s a tank on screen, are we looking at some kind of World of Tanks spinoff? Maybe a strategy game? Let’s see…
I called it! It’s World of Tanks 2.0 – the “biggest update in the game’s history”.
Time for some John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando action in an extended gameplay trailer. It’s got co-op, it’s got shooting, and it’s sure got some weird mutant enemies.
The game is set to release in “early 2026”.
Time for something a bit different, a game called Death by Scrolling.
It’s a roguelike set in purgatory, with cute pixel graphics. The big feature of this one seems to be that the screen is constantly scrolling upwards as you play, which is pretty unique.
Oh, you’ll also be chased by the grim reaper – so look out for that.
Something from the Disco Elyisum studio ZA/UM!
An espionage RPG, with a weird tone and the same incredible art style as its predecessor. Zero Parades is the name.
A Neverness to Everness trailer here.
Wow this game looks absolutely stunning. It’s one that I’ve been keeping my eyes on for awhile, so I’ll definitely be pre-registering after the show.
Another game on my wishlist now!
Unbeatable, an absolutely gorgeous rhythm adventure that’s coming out on November 6 – yippee!
Honor of Kings: World, a lovely looking spin-off based on the incredibly popular mobile MMO. It’s more of an action-RPG, which is good news for me because I’m absolutely hopeless at MMOs.
Delta Force is out right now on console!
I was a big fan of this game back at its mobile launch, so I’ll be checking out the PS5 release for sure.
Now on to the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 live performance, which is the emotional song Alicia.
And here’s a photo of the performance live from the hall!
Time for the first gameplay reveal of Cinder City, a shooter MMO set in a post-apocalyptic Seoul.
I’m seeing lots of multiplayer battles and creepy zombie enemies. Ewww, that’s some pretty nasty gore, too.
Some absolutely wild looking game also from NCSoft now, starring heroes taken from across history battling it out in a really strange world.
It’s all Time Takers, and I’m liking the look of the character designs.
A fresh Silent Hill f trailer now, and wow it looks gorgeous!
The protagonist might be a young girl, but she seems to be pretty capable with a lead pipe as we see her bludgeoning all kinds of scary creatures.
On to a fresh game!
I’m getting lots of soulslike vibes from the combat here, which has an armored protagonist going head to head with a mystical looking creature.
It’s called La Divina Commedia, and is presumably something to do with the poem.
Cronos The New Dawn now, with a guy wearing the protagonist’s suit on stage plus an all-new trailer showing off its lovely looking Poland setting and raft of horrifying enemies.
Now it’s time for something from Obsidian – The Outer Worlds 2 I suspect.
New The Outer Worlds 2 trailer
As predicted, it’s a new trailer for The Outer Worlds 2 focusing predominantly on its companions.
There’s a funny robot, a weird assassin, some strange cultist person, another funny robot, and a guy.
All bases are covered here, it seems.
The trailer also confirmed that you will NOT be able to sleep with any of the companions, and gave us an October 29 release date.
Inzoi Island Getaway on screen as I type this, a new free expansion for Inzoi.
I didn’t really like this game when it launched in early access earlier this year, but maybe this will be enough to get me to give it another shot.
It’ll be out tomorrow, so I’ll sleep on it before I decide.
Another anime game now, with guns! This is my kind of thing.
It’s called Fate Trigger and will be playable in early 2026.
An online game based on the The Seven Deadly Sins anime now! I know absolutely nothing about the source material, so this one is a bit lost on me.
A look at Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, followed by Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. It’s sequel extravaganza!
The latter also got a release date at long long last: 21 October 2025.
An Enshrouded expansion now – Enshrouded Wake of the Water set to come out in October. Good news for fans of the survival game, not such good news if, like me, you had never heard of it.
Age of Empires 4 is coming to PS5! Complete with an all-new expansion.
Pre-order now, ahead of a November 4, 2025 release.
Now here’s something more up my street! A Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 expansion: Legacy of the Forge.
We’ve got some Cult of the Lamb news up! Is this going to be a free update, a sequel, or a new expansion? Let’s see…
That’s a “massive paid expansion” according to some on-screen text – that answers my question!
It’s called Woolhaven and will be here in early 2026.
World of Warcraft time!
It’s time for a cinematic look at World of Warcraft: Midnight, the MMO’s 11th expansion!
These cinematics are generally really high quality, so I’m looking forward to this.
There’s been a noticeable lack of Resident Evil Requiem so far. Is something big from that game going to be the final reveal? It’s definitely possible.
A new project from Delta Force developers Team Jade! A tactical shooter this time, with an interesting horror skew.
Another title from the Wargaming, the World of Tanks devs.
I’m seeing tanks, I’m seeing planes. Lots of explosions.
The official title is Heat!
Ghost of Yotei trailer time! With plenty of action from our protagonist Atsu and another look at the stunning open-world setting.
The combat still looks absolutely fantastic, and the colors on some of these scenes are gorgeous.
We’ve also just had out look at Ghost of Yotei Legends – a free multiplayer DLC that will come later in 2026! That’s pretty cool.
Okay, it’s Resident Evil time…
The trailer is all about protagonist Grace Ashcroft and has confirmed that her mother Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak is going to be in the game!
It looks like we’re seeing the hotel where parts of the game are set, presumably some time before her mother’s death.
Well, that guy is very dead.
It’s almost over, with just one last surprise to go! A “global announcement” of some kind?
A Game Science release! That’s the Black Myth: Wukong developers. I suspect we’re about to see another soulslike…
We’ve got two guys with comedy British accents on screen, plus a massive tiger. What could this be?
It’s Black Myth: Zhong Kui! It’ll be another single-player action RPG based on another part of Chinese mythology.
It’s over!
What did you think of the show?
I thought it was pretty underwhelming, if I’m being honest.
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