Gamescom 2026: the games that stole the spotlight and their release dates

Two hours of trailers, about fifty games, and Geoff Keighley doing his Geoff Keighley thing. Opening Night Live 2026 has just concluded in Cologne and the conclusion is simple: it was dense . No E3 for years, Gamescom remains the only major European video game event, and this year the publishers clearly did not just show up.

Between the finally confirmed release dates, the big surprise announcements, and the trailers that give goosebumps, we have plenty to feast on. Here’s a recap of the games that marked the show, along with the dates to remember for the coming months.

CD Projekt made a big splash. The studio unveiled the first gameplay of Songs of the Past , the new expansion of The Witcher 3, and frankly it delivers. New region called Letten , new creatures (a thing made from toxic plants called Thornbloom, an enemy protected by swarms of hornets), and especially a new weapon : a chain which allows Geralt to attract enemies like Scorpion in Mortal Kombat. "Get over here" witcher version.

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The comparison with Blood and Wine comes up in all the previews — a big expansion with its own area, its quests, its characters. The first quest shown, "A Bed of Thorns," features Geralt accompanied by a certain Lilla in a mansion overrun by vegetation. Atmosphere.

But that's not all: CD Projekt has also announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered , a complete graphic redesign available in free update on September 29 . There it's a gift. Songs of the Past, it, is scheduled for 2027 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series and Switch 2.

The campaign trailer of Gears of War: E-Day has probably been the loudest moment of the evening. And for good reason: we are talking about a prequel that takes place 14 years before the first Gears , the day the Locust landed on the surface of Sera. Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, in their young version, in the midst of total chaos.

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The trailer shows the brutality of the invasion, the first glimpse of the leader of the Locust, and a much darker tone than what we knew of the series. It's clearly survival horror mixed with TPS. The game releases on October 6, 2026 on Xbox Series and PC, day one on the Game Pass . If you have a subscription, you literally have zero reason to miss it.

Square Enix has released the trailer "The Planet's Crisis" and it confirms that Revelation go see things in a very big way. One sees the Weapons — these massive creatures linked to the planet — in action, and especially Cloud and his gang taking to the skies aboard the Highwind . For fans of the original game, this is THE moment we were all waiting for.

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The open world seems gigantic if we believe the plans from the trailer. We traverse continents, we fly over oceans, we encounter monsters the size of a skyscraper. The game arrives on spring 2027 on PS5 — and also on PC, Xbox Series and Switch 2. Square Enix who releases multi-platform from the start, it had to be noted.

Beyond the three monsters mentioned above, Gamescom has confirmed an avalanche of releases for this fall. In no particular order, and in chronological order:

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (27 August, today) — Asobo Studio returns with a new story on the island of the Minotaur. Sophia replaces Amicia, but the Plague Tale atmosphere is definitely there. Available now, literally.

The Blood of Dawnwalker (September 3) — The new game from the veterans of CD Projekt. Dark fantasy RPG in an open world with vampires. Big piece.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword (September 3) — Capcom unleashes an extended demo available immediately. The return of the franchise after years of silence.

Mewgenics (September 8) — The new game by Edmund McMillen (The Binding of Isaac). Tactical roguelite... with cats. Genetic manipulation, turn-based combat, breeding mutant felines. It's as crazy as it sounds.

Silent Hill: Townfall (September 24) — Annapurna and Screen Burn. First-person view, psychological horror. The English cast has just been revealed: Jovan Adepo, Terry O'Quinn, and Kezia Burrows. It promises.

Control Resonant (September 24) — Remedy is back at it. We embody Dylan Faden (not Jesse this time) in a Manhattan overrun by the forces of the Altered World. The "Altered State" trailer showcased fluid and intense gameplay.

Rayman Legends: Retold (October 1st) — Ubisoft is bringing back Rayman. Remake or remaster, the result is there on almost all platforms, Switch 2 included.

Aion 2 (October 5) — The Korean MMO makes its return. PC for now.

Path of Exile 2 version 1.0 (December 11) — Grinding Gear Games finally leaves early access. The full version brings a finished campaign, a revamped endgame, new loot. For ARPG fans, it's the big end-of-year event.

Gamescom also served as a showcase for next year's games. And the list is extensive.

Metro 2039 (February 2027) showed its second gameplay trailer, "Renegade". We follow The Stranger, the new protagonist, in the tunnels and on the surface. Suffocating atmosphere, makeshift weapons, mutants everywhere. 4A Games seems to have found the right formula.

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Ananta (15 January 2027) — The open-world urban RPG from NetEase. New city inspired by Shanghai and Hangzhou, flying cars, gliders, companions, and a martial arts combat system. Visually, it's a knockout.

Exodus (April 7, 2027) — Wizards of the Coast and Archetype Entertainment. Sci-fi RPG with an octopus companion named Salt. Yes, an octopus. But a deadly octopus, according to the trailer.

Rainbow Six Tactics — Ubisoft who transforms Rainbow Six into a turn-based tactical game, solo. You manage a unit, you recruit operators, you dismantle a global conspiracy. Scheduled for 2027.

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons — Action-adventure solo in third-person view. Forbidden magic, open world, creative combat. Invoke Studios at the helm, Wizards of the Coast publishing. 2027 too.

Game of Thrones: War for Westeros — PC, early 2027. We haven't had many details, but the name alone is enough to create the hype.

LEGO Skylines — Paradox Interactive and the LEGO group. A cozy city builder in LEGO bricks on PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC. No one saw it coming and everyone wants it.

Tides of Annihilation — Action-RPG fantasy inspired by the Arthurian legend. Fast-paced combat, spectacular bosses, striking art direction. The studio Eclipse Glow is a newcomer, but the trailer made an impact.

Mega Man: Dual Override — Capcom is bringing back the blue hedgehog (sorry, the blue robot) for 2027 on almost all existing platforms. A Mega Man skin is also coming to Pragmata this year.

Turok: Origins — Saber Interactive brings back the dinosaur-slayer. Spring 2027, solo or co-op.

Héros de la magie et de la puissance III Remake — The classic is back. No date, but the simple announcement has exploded the forums.

Crazy Taxi — SEGA announces the return of Crazy Taxi for 2027. Maximum nostalgia.

Humankind 2 — Amplitude Studios is back with the historical 4X. PC, 2027.

Ontos — The spiritual successor of SOMA by Frictional Games. Psychological horror, moral dilemmas, no right answer. The studio knows how to scare and it shows.

The Opening Night Live took place on August 25, 2026 in Cologne, Germany. The show continues until August 29 with other showcases (Xbox, Future Games Show, Awesome Indies).

Difficult to separate. Gears of War: E-Day had the biggest direct impact, but The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past and Final Fantasy VII Revelation dominate online discussions. The three are heavyweights.

More than 50 games were shown during the main show and the pre-show, between announcements, trailers and updates. Gamescom remains the biggest gaming showcase of the year in Europe.

No. Rockstar has scheduled a separate GTA 6 showcase on August 27, outside the official Gamescom program. Clever.

The majority are on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series . The Switch 2 is increasingly present — Rayman Legends Retold, Mewgenics, LEGO Skylines and Final Fantasy VII Revelation are confirmed. The multi-platform clearly dominates.

This Gamescom 2026 was probably the best in years. No endless chatter, concrete announcements with dates, and a fall 2026 schedule that is going to be absolutely crazy. September and October are going to hurt the wallet.

The most striking: the Switch 2 is quietly establishing itself in the line-ups, Final Fantasy VII is finally leaving PlayStation exclusivity, and European studios (CD Projekt, 4A Games, Asobo, Remedy) are flexing their muscles against the Japanese and Americans. We can't wait.