Feature: Gamescom ONL Predictions 1
Image: Push Square

Of Geoff Keighley's trilogy of annual video game extravaganzas, Gamescom Opening Night Live tends to be the weakest. However, that's not to say it hasn't played host to some fantastic announcements and trailers over the years.

With a glimmer of hope in our collective eye and lots of potential titles that could show their face, we thought it would be fun to make some predictions ahead of the big day.

But before we get into all that, let's go over what we know will be there.

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Games Confirmed for Gamescom ONL So Far

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The following titles have already been confirmed as part of the showcase:

We'll add more as and when they are announced prior to the show.

So, what does that leave us with? Well, the way we see it, there are lots of possibilities. There are plenty of games slated for 2025 that have yet to receive a date, for instance. Gamescom ONL is also an ideal venue to show off new trailers for games announced earlier in the year.

Add on top of that a bunch of games releasing shortly after Gamescom, and you're already looking at a fairly packed show. Let's go through it.

Character Reveals Are In

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Certain games and genres lend themselves to featuring many playable characters, and it just so happens there are a handful on the horizon — some closer than others, but still.

We can imagine there being one or two character reveal trailers for games such as Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and perhaps even Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls.

The latter two games also don't have a release date yet, and while it would probably be too early to get a firm date for Tokon, the timing seems about right to hear when Cosmic Invasion is dropping.

September and October Reminders

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The next couple of months are pretty busy with new game releases, and we'd wager some of the major players will rock up at Gamescom ONL to remind you they're launching soon.

A new gameplay trailer, pre-order details, revealing a new mode — that sort of thing. Anything that might get people amped up for games coming soon.

Titles in this category include:

There are plenty of other potential candidates. A big one we've left out is Ghost of Yotei, but if Sony hosts its own State of Play in September (as it has done for the last three years running), we expect it'll show up there, if anywhere.

It's a Date

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Numerous developers and publishers have yet to reveal release dates for their games, but many of them are still earmarked for 2025. There's only a third of the year left, guys — it's time to draw your lines in the proverbial sand.

We've already mentioned Marvel Cosmic Invasion, but some others we're hoping to see dates for are Lumines Arise, Skate (early access), 2XKO, Mixtape, and Hades 2.

Speaking of Lumines, developer Enhance has previously announced a playable demo coming this summer, and there ain't much summer left; we could be looking at a "demo out now" situation.

It's an Update

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Some other games have been announced or shown off previously, but maybe it's been a while. Gamescom ONL is a neat stopgap venue to reveal a little more about some upcoming titles that we know are in the works. For example:

  • 007 First Light — Officially unveiled during Sony's June State of Play, now might be a good time to show some moment-to-moment gameplay.
  • Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Pragmata — Both also seen in June showcases. With Capcom already showing Resident Evil Requiem, it's possible these two other 2026 games will get some air time too.
  • Silent Hill: Townfall — Not seen since its announcement in 2022. Silent Hill F is confirmed for ONL, so perhaps it could segue into a new trailer for Townfall?
  • John Carpenter's Toxic Commando — Announced in 2023, this has more or less been totally absent ever since. Is now the time to see it return?
  • Crazy Taxi — SEGA's first retro revival project, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, is on the verge of release. It would make sense to us if the publisher starts promoting the next, and the one we're most curious to see is the brand new Crazy Taxi. We'll take Jet Set Radio too, though.

Just for Fun

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Our thoughts and predictions so far have been just about games — where's the fun in that? Let's make some daft predictions about Gamescom ONL itself, because we can.

Geoff's Shoes Will Be Predominantly Black

Geoff Keighley always walks onstage in an expertly chosen t-shirt, jacket, and (presumably) sickeningly-expensive trainers. We always like to guess what colour they'll be before he walks out, and this time we reckon he'll play it fairly straight with some mostly black kicks.

Someone in the Audience Will React Too Strongly to Something

You don't see it quite so often anymore, but some fond memories from the E3 days would see certain audience members (very likely planted by publishers) whooping and hollering like they've witnessed a miracle. We predict at least one such occurrence; maybe some sarcastic enthusiasm for a bland sci-fi shooter, or something.

Geoff Will Brag About Visiting Studios and Playing Games Early

He loves doing this. He's got his grubby fingers in so many pies, it's disgusting.

There'll Probably Be a TV Adaptation or Whatever

Geoff likes bringing on celebrities and people from film and TV; last year, Tim Miller was trotted out to talk up Amazon's show Secret Level. We reckon there will be something along those lines, and it'll be hard to care about.

An Announcement That Puts Geoff on the Verge of Tears But Is Actually Not That Surprising or Impactful

Sometimes, Geoff will reach the biggest announcement in one of his shows, and before the reveal, he's amping it up big time. He's getting misty-eyed, he's getting choked up. This is big. This is a moment. Look at him, he's practically floating he's so excited. Oh! It's the third Star Wars Jedi game! Okay, cool! Alright, cool. Cool.

That's about all we've got for our Gamescom Opening Night Live predictions. What are you expecting to see during the showcase? Discuss in the comments section below.