2024-08-21 05:10:02
Gamescom’s Opening Night Live showcase is once again here to highlight games coming your way in the near future (and beyond). Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the creator of The Game Awards, the stream primarily focused on new or first looks at previously announced games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Sid Meier’s Civilization 7, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Dune: Awakening.
But there were more than a few surprises, including new game announcements and reveals, at Gamescom ONL. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest trailers and announcements that were shown.
Gearbox Software is officially back in the Borderlands business. At Gamescom ONL, 2K games and Gearbox announced Borderlands 4 in the form of a cinematic teaser. The new Borderlands game is out sometime in 2025 and, according to an official description, “players will assume the role of a legendary Vault Hunter as they blast their way through hordes of enemies in search of new treasures to loot on an all-new planet.”
Developer Hangar 13 is returning to the Mafia franchise in 2025. The studio, and publisher 2K Games, revealed Mafia: The Old Country, a new entry that will send the series back to Italy. Mafia: The Old Country promises to “uncover the origins of organized crime” with a “gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily.” Hangar 13 promises the “authentic realism and rich storytelling” the Mafia series is known for. Details are scant, but expect more in December, the game’s makers say — probably at The Game Awards, if we’re guessing.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Bethesda not only gave us a new look at Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, we also (finally) got a release date: Dec. 9 on Windows PC and Xbox Series X. But PlayStation fans can also get their hands on Indy, with a PS5 version announced for spring 2025. For more on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, read Polygon’s preview of the game.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Call of Duty fans got a lengthy look at new gameplay from Black Ops 6, which ran the gamut from political blackmail to stealthy close-quarters gunplay to a gunfire-and-explosion-filled street chase through Washington, D.C. on the back of a motorcycle. More to come at Call of Duty Next.
Techland revealed a new game in its zombie adventure franchise at Gamescom with Dying Light: The Beast, which the developer describes as a “thrilling standalone zombie adventure set in a tightly-crafted rural region.” Players take on the role of Kyle Crane, who breaks free after years of brutal experiments and seeks revenge. Dying Light: The Beast is coming to PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms
A new entry in the The Dark Pictures anthology, Supermassive Games’ Directive 8020 stars Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel, The Woman King) in an all-new sci-fi survival horror adventure. Lynch plays the ground-breaking astronaut, Young, in what Supermassive describes as “an immersive cinematic horror experience that blends intense survival gameplay with a branching narrative storyline.” Directive 8020 is out in 2025.
Goat Simulator Remastered
For the 10th anniversary of Goat Simulator, Coffee Stain Publishing is bringing back the original in remastered form with upgraded graphics and lighting, as well as “many intentional features that definitely aren’t bugs, and fan-favourite DLC, all in one package.” Goat Simulator Remastered drops in 2024.
Geoff Keighley himself starred in the reveal trailer for King of Meat, a four-player hacking, slashing, co-op combat game from Amazon Games and studio Glowmade in which players fight through “ridiculous” user-created dungeons. King of Meat is coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
Lynked: Banner of the Spark
Developer FuzzyBot announced Lynked: Banner of the Spark at Opening Night Live. It’s an “arcade-inspired co-op adventure that blends hack and slash combat with roguelike and town-building elements.”
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Life is Strange developer Don’t Nod revealed new gameplay and a release date for its next game, the ’90s-set narrative adventure Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. The episodic game will launch in two parts on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X on Feb. 18 and March 18, 2025.
Embark Studios, creator of The Finals, brought its long-delayed shooter ARC Raiders to Gamescom for a re-reveal. The PvPvE action survival shooter is now coming in 2025 to PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. ARC Raiders’ first public tech test is now scheduled for Oct. 24-27.
Infinity Nikki, the cozy, open-world adventure game fueled by the power of dressing up, got a new look at Gamescom — and news of an upcoming closed beta on mobile platforms.
Funcom showed actual gameplay from its open-world survival MMO set in the Dune universe, detailing the journey from “survivor to spice hunter.” Players will expand their influence on Arrakis through combat, spice, building, and trade when Dune: Awakening arrives in early 2025 on PC. PS5 and Xbox versions are due later.
Little Nightmares developer Tarsier Studios revealed its next game, a terrifying new adventure called Reanimal. Described as a co-op horror adventure game, players take on the roles of brother and sister who “go through hell to rescue their missing friends.” Reanimal is playable solo or in local and online co-op, and it’s coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
Capcom showed off more from its impressively open-world new Monster Hunter game at Gamescom ONL, covering the new area the Scarlet Forest, new monster Lala Barina, and Windward Plains apex predator Rey Dau. Monster Hunter Wilds also has some tasty looking meat — increasingly a Capcom specialty.
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7
Firaxis Games showed off first gameplay from Sid Meier’s Civilization 7, but the depth of the next Civ will warrant much more than that. Expect gameplay deep dives and interviews from Gamescom throughout the week. Firaxis also announced a release date of Feb. 11, 2025.
Marvel and NetEase Games’ kinda-Overwatch-y team-based game, Marvel Rivals, has two new heroes: Captain America and The Winter Soldier (aka Bucky Barnes). And it has a release date: Marvel Rivals is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X on Dec. 6.
Prime Video’s Secret Level
Secret Level is a new animated anthology series from the creatives behind Love, Death + Robots. It will feature original stories set in the worlds of Armored Core, Dungeons & Dragons, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Sifu, Spelunky, The Outer Worlds, Unreal Tournament, Warhammer 40,000 and more.
Bethesda Game Studios showed up with some Starfield content, including a look (and imminent release) of the REV-8 land vehicle and a tease of the Shattered Space DLC coming on Sept. 30. The free REV-8 update gives players the freedom to explore new frontiers and reach new heights, Bethesda said.
A new Monument Valley game is coming. Monument Valley 3’s gorgeous, mind-bending puzzles will arrive exclusively on Netflix Games on Dec. 10, along with both Monument Valley and Monument Valley 2.
The next Batman Arkham game is for VR. Set between the events of Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Asylum, players will step Batman’s cape and cowl as he takes on the Rat King and reunites with familiar faces Harleen Quinzel, Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Dr. Crane — before some of them become villains — in Batman: Arkham Shadow.
Fable, Populous, and Black & White creator Peter Molyneux is back and making a new game for consoles and PC. Masters of Albion will tap into some of Molyneux’s most beloved games, giving players godlike control and letting them possess characters for direct, third-person action.
The deadly survival games of Netflix’s breakout hit Squid Game are coming to mobile with a new, even deadlier series of challenges. Squid Game: Unleashed is (of course) coming to Netflix, but does not have a release date.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
Players won’t go it alone when Diablo 4’s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, goes live on Oct. 8. They’ll be joined by members of the Pale Hand, a group of mercenaries that got an introduction from Blizzard Entertainment at Gamescom ONL.