Geoff Keighley is at it again with another big showcase. We got a little bit of everything: new announcements, details, and trailers on games we already knew about, and another prankster getting on stage to obnoxiously disrupt the show. The opening of Gamescom 2023 has started off with a banger as we got a bit of everything at Opening Night Live, which we are here to do an overview of everything announced. Whether you are hyped for Starfield or need a new game to add to your calendar, Keighley delivered something for any type of gamer.
Everything Announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2023: Trailers, Interviews, and More
Here is a breakdown of everything shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2023.
Live-Action Starfield Trailer
Opening up the show was a performance by Starfield composer Inon Zur. This transitioned to a blockbuster live-action trailer for Bethesda’s NASApunk RPG. At this point, we know plenty about the game from the summer’s big presentation. Now, it is all about getting excited, and to do that, we got beautiful music and an epic, immersive look at the universe.
Todd Howard came on stage to talk a little more about the game. Howard spoke mostly about the build-up for Bethesda to reach this point. Story elements were teased, largely focusing on the openness of an RPG by the company. How the game would open, which leads to the character creator, was briefly mentioned.
Starfield will be released on September 6 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. It will be available on Game Pass on launch day.
Zach Snyder on Rebel Moon Movie, a Sequel, and a Video Game Tie-in
Zach Snyder is onto his next big project, Rebel Moon. The sci-fi epic will be his Star Wars in more ways than one. The director teased the sequel and announced a video game tie-in for his Netflix spectacle. The game had sparse details, but we know it will be a co-op RPG developed by mobile game studio Super Evil Megacorp.
Rebel Moon follows native people to a planet fighting back against an invasion from an army. The story will expand between its first installment, A Child of Fire, on December 22, 2023. The sequel, The Scargiver, will follow up on April 19, 2024.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay Trailer Revealed
Out of everything announced at Opening Night Live, a fresh look at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was no surprise. Some brief details were overviewed, like its open missions to let you tackle it however you want and an open-world zombies’ mode. The main focus was on a campaign mission that took place in Verdansk, the setting for the original Warzone. The gameplay showed a stealth section with blue night vision to deliver a new look to the classic gear for nighttime missions. It eventually led to a full-on battle when the enemy was alerted.
Modern Warfare 3 will release on November 10 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Alan Wake 2 Goes Live-Action
Remedy Entertainment is not afraid to stretch its creative muscles. As was previously announced by Keighley ahead of Opening Night Live, a new trailer was shown for Alan Wake 2, featuring moments of gameplay and its impressive cinematics. The focus of this latest display of the upcoming horror game was its use of live-action. The game will transition seamlessly with its cinematics from live-action to in-game cutscenes. The idea behind it is to immerse us in where the titled character is trapped, The Dark Place. In this, we will get a twisted version of New York City, the setting for the protagonist’s crime novels. This latest footage further emphasizes that this will be one of the scariest games of 2023.
Alan Wake 2 will release on October 17 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Gemma Chan Joins Diablo 4 Season 2
The next season of Diablo 4 will be expansive for gameplay and storytelling. To assist in telling a vampire-centered story, Gemma Chan (Eternals) joins the cast as a vampire hunter named Erys. Like other allies in the game, she will join you for adventures and guide you along a new questline. By introducing a vampire, it is fitting that this season will be called Season of Blood. Even more fittingly, it will start in time for spooky season on October 17.
Each season of Diablo 4 will deliver new content and quality-of-life improvements. For this second season, we should expect new quests, vampire powers, additional endgame bosses, a more efficient inventory system, and more.
Mortal Kombat 1 Reveals Two New Characters and Genital Destruction
Mortal Kombat 1 continues to showcase its brutal combat, from limb ripping to genital destruction that will stiffen your body in horror. While Ed Boon returned to a Keighley-hosted showcase for Opening Night Live to introduce more gruesome deaths, he announced two new characters. Sindel and General Shao were revealed to join the main roster of characters, with cameo fighters Motaro and Shujinko tagging along the backline to give support. The reveal of these fighters provided a bloody sample of their playstyles, X-ray attacks, and fatalities in various stages.
Mortal Kombat 1 will release on September 19 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Tekken 8 Receives a Release Date
A new trailer for Tekken 8 was revealed, which delivered a January 26, 2024 release date on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. From everything announced at Opening Night Live, this was one of the biggest reveals. It was fitting to finally get a date for Tekken 8 in its latest trailer, as we are in the middle of the major games in the fighting genre coming to the current-gen platforms with Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1.
The trailer details the new content coming to the fighting game franchise. The teases in the trailer include a new single-player mode, Arcade Quest featuring Mii-like avatars, and cosmetics for your favorite fighters.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Trailer Focuses on the Franchise’s Latest Setting
Ubisoft unveiled a new trailer for Assassin’s Creed Mirage to highlight the culture of ninth-century Baghdad with an Arabic voiceover. The next installment of the franchise will go back to its roots with a smaller scale, going away from open world RPGs like the last few games. This will have a connection to one of the recent releases as the protagonist Basim was a character in Valhalla. Even if you did not play Valhalla, you will still understand the story and get to know Basim. For fans, this will make for a more intimate experience to further your knowledge on the Valhalla character.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage will release on October 5 for PS4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and PC.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Trailer Highlights New Changes
Cyberpunk 2077 has had its revival through patches, but the big swing to essentially re-release the sci-fi RPG comes with its spy thriller expansion, Phantom Liberty. Alongside new content like a new district, weapons, dynamic events, quests, vehicle combat, and characters, the improvements made will make this Cyberpunk 2077 2.0. For people who did not touch it on release but wanted to, this will be the time to jump on board. Some of the revamped mechanics include a new police system, reworked perks and cyberware upgrades, an increased level cap, and an AI overhaul.
Phantom Liberty will release on September 26 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Some improvements made in the expansion will be available as an update for all platforms.
Sonic Superstars Gets Release Date
SEGA came in with some of the biggest surprises out of everything announced at Opening Night Live. The company delivered a new trailer that unveiled a release date of October 17 for Sonic Superstars. The crowded month will have a palette cleanser as we will have some heavier games with Alan Wake 2, Spider-Man, and more. The trailer delivers a look at gameplay, including local four-player co-op and an online mode, Battle Mode. The online mode will be a free-for-all style for anyone wanting some competitive Sonic action featuring all of our favorite characters, like Knuckles, Tails, and more. We also get surprises, like a retro throwback to shake things up.
Sonic Superstars will release on October 17 for PS4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, Switch, and PC.
Sonic Frontiers Trailer for The Final Horizon Update
SEGA had more Sonic for fans right after its Superstars announcement. More content is coming to Sonic Frontiers with a free update titled, The Final Horizon. Story content will be added to the campaign. It will include challenges for things to do on the side after you complete the newly introduced adventure. While Sonic is still the star, his friends will be joining him this time around to share the spotlight. In the trailer, we were shown Amy, Knuckles, and Tails as the new playable characters.
Sonic Frontiers owners can expect this free update to arrive on September 28.
A New Narrative Game: Dustborn
Quantic Dream will publish a new action-adventure narrative game from Red Thread Games called Dustborn. This is one of the brand-new games announced at Opening Night Live, which had a trailer that introduced a diverse crew of characters on a road trip through a torn United States. Interact with the crew to develop relationships that will alter based on your decisions. In between driving and chatting, you will get some combat from dangerous robotic enemies. It is touted as a game about “hope, love, friendships, robots, and the power of words.” From the trailer, this seems quite accurate, as we get plenty of love, friendship, and robots.
Dustborn has no release date but will be available on PS4 and 5, Xbox, and PC.
Thank Goodness You’re Home: A New Game From Untitled Goose Game Devs
Panic Inc., the studio behind the award-winning game Untitled Goose Game has its next release planned. Thank Goodness You’re Home will be a hand-drawn style game to continue the studio’s comedic personality. This 2D adventure game will take you through various odd jobs that residents of Barnsworth need to be completed by you. The more jobs you finish, the more the town opens up to you for exploration and interactions with its silly citizens.
Thank Goodness You’re Home will release in 2024 on PS5, Switch, and PC.
Little Nightmares 3 Announced With Companion Podcast
Good news for Little Nightmares fans as a third entry was announced at Opening Night Live. Like the sequel, it will continue the focus with two protagonists, but this time around it will introduce co-op. Gameplay showed a spooky world, puzzles, and the two characters making their way through the world. You can play with a friend or with the AI controlling your companion. This will be the first installment developed by Supermassive Games as original creators Tarsier wanted to move on.
Along with the trailer, we got a surprise podcast for Little Nightmares. The Sounds of Nightmares is available for you to listen to, telling a new story in the universe.
No date was attached, but Little Nightmares 3 will be available on PS4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, Switch, and PC.
Black Myth: Wukong Trailer Gives More Soulslike Gameplay
We have seen plenty of Black Myth: Wukong gameplay over the years, and we got more at Keighley’s showcase. We started off at a weird yet beautiful place with a headless person skillfully playing music with a Sanxian-like instrument. The peaceful nature disrupts with Soulslike combat. All kinds of enemies are featured, plenty of which are nightmarish creatures that will likely kill us countless times. The action gets spaced out with plenty of beautiful shots to highlight the impressive environments, including blood-red skies and striking monuments.
Black Myth: Wukong has no release date but will launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Marvel Snap Exits Early Access on Steam
Marvel Snap is celebrating a new milestone as it exits Early Access on Steam with new rewards and a flashy animated trailer featuring Deadpool, Ghost Rider, and more. After nearly a year of updates, the mobile game is optimized on PC, including wide-screen support and improvements to livestreaming. For the occasion, new rewards are available on PC. If you link your Apple or Google account, then your Marvel Snap account will be across your phone and PC. These rewards you can unlock include a mech variant for Devil Dinosaur, various daily login rewards, and Twitch rewards, which started on August 22 and will go until August 29.
Warhaven Release Date Announced
Opening Night Live also announced the full release of Warhaven, an action-packed multiplayer fantasy Medieval game that has a September 21 date. The free-to-play PVP game delivered the date with a new gameplay trailer that spotlights the chaotic nature of its battles. With 16 people on each team, you will pick a class and jump into a battlefield of swords, explosions, and magic. The latest trailer introduces a new melee-based character fittingly named Blade. The upcoming release will be the full game, with some players having a taste from various beta tests.
No console port has been announced. For now, the game will only be available on PC on September 21.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink Gets a New Trailer and Release Date
2024 went from not having many concrete release dates to getting plenty. From everything we saw at Opening Night Live, Granblue Fantasy fans should be happy as a release date was announced for Granblue Fantasy: Relink at Opening Night Live. After originally set for the end of this year, the next entry to the action RPG franchise will arrive on February 1. This is the second time we saw the game this year, as it was previously shown at PlayStation’s spring showcase. Such a short delay into the beginning of next year is a good sign for a game that had previously been delayed and had a change in developer.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink will be available on PS4, PS5, and PC.
New Trailer for Nightingale; Early Access Gets Delayed
From everything announced at Opening Night Live, not everything was good news. If you were looking forward to playing Nightingale, the survivalist fantasy game, you must wait longer. Early Access was set for this fall but instead will open up on February 22, 2024. The PC-only game did have a new gameplay video. We got further looks at the impressive buildings you can construct and the vicious, terrifying monsters you will battle. As the genre is filled with competition for survival PVE games, this looks like a refreshing twist with its captivating world and aesthetic. Each new trailer makes the game look better, so the wait should be worth it when the developers feel it is ready for people to try it out.
Expeditions: A MudRunner Game Satisfies Driving Sim Fans
Gaming can satisfy all kinds of tastes, including driving sim fans. A gameplay trailer was revealed for Expeditions: A MudRunner Game. An assortment of off-road vehicles will be offered for an immersive experience of driving vehicles you may never get to drive in real life. Snowrunner and Mudrunner fans know what to expect when it comes to that, as this is from the same creators. That experience comes to fruition with various environments and vehicles. We see the beautiful landscape and the dirty road trips we can take. Beyond driving, we will get to customize your loadout of cars and take on jobs.
A New Look at Stormgate
Frost Giant Studios, a new studio founded by ex-Blizzard devs, continue to show their vision from an old-school RTS that gives us the vibes of Starcraft. The latest gameplay trailer for Stormgate gives us a better understanding of how it will look. By combining sci-fi and fantasy, we will get to dive into a war between the sophisticated army of the Human Vanguard and the hellish hordes of the Infernal Host. These are just two of the playable factions as we get into battles with AI-controlled enemies or other players for this throwback to the RTS genre.
Stormgate is aiming to release in 2024 for PC.
Crimson Desert Reveals an Insane Trailer
Out of everything we saw announced at Opening Night Live, Crimson Desert had to be right up there as one of the most impressive. This spiritual successor to Black Desert has it all with robots, dragons, cute animals to pet, and Tears of the Kingdom-styled floating structures. The gameplay was chaotic, with creative things you can do in the world to its large-scale battles. The number of things you can do gave reminiscent feelings of TOTK and BOTW as people came up with unique solutions to battles and puzzles. Whether you want to go fishing, sky diving, or sit around to pet dogs and cats, it will be your choice.
Crimson Desert has no date but will release on PS4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and PC.
Bulletstorm Returns in VR
Remember Bulletstorm? Well, a virtual reality version is coming to deliver a new experience of the 2011 cult classic. Even for the time, it could be imagined how its gameplay would translate to VR. The medium has proven to work well with shooters like Half-Life Alyx and Boneworks. While those work with your pacing, this will align more so with other AAA ports that up the energy for a more frantic, chaotic experience. Whether you want a nostalgic trip or have never touched Bulletstorm, this will be a refreshing way to experience the shooter under a new lens.
Bulletstorm VR will release on December 14, 2023.
Age of Empires IV Arrives on Xbox
More good news has come out of Opening Night Live for strategy fans as it was announced Age of Empires IV is available on Xbox. This comes in the way of the Anniversary Edition. Features were added for the UI and controller support when playing on an Xbox console. If you are new to the franchise, a new tutorial mode will be available. Another addition is the Villager Priority System, a mechanic that lets villagers focus on a single resource with a single button press.
Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition is now available on Xbox One, Series X|S, and Game Pass. The game was released on PC in 2021.
Killing Floor 3 Gets Announcement Trailer
If you love horde shooters, then put Killing Floor 3 on your radar. The last game was released in 2016 with heavy support of new content over the years due to a steady playerbase. The third installment has no details, but we can expect the bar to get lifted after the jump between the first and second games. We can expect new Zeds to kill, more weapons, new maps, and more gore for this class-based horde shooter. It will be a formula, but fans should be satisfied with more gory carnage.
Killing Floor 3 will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. No release date is known.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon Launch Trailer Puts Us in the Cockpit
FromSoftware has gone from a niche studio to a AAA juggernaut. Before games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring made the company mainstream, it was known for Armored Core. The studio goes back to its roots with a new Armored Core with Fires of Rubicon. At Opening Night Live, we got a launch trailer to get us hyped for mech action as we soar through the air to blast other big mechs. Now, with the studio becoming acclaimed and amassing a larger audience, this will make for the perfect jumping-on-point to get inside a mech for the first time.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon releases on August 24-25, depending on where you live. It will be available on PS4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and PC.
Last Epoch Adds a New Class
Last Epoch had a trailer to showcase a new magic-based class, Runemaster. The mastery class for the Mage class is powerful, with the ability to use 40 abilities from one skill. This will be a game-changer if your playstyle involves magic.
If you are done with Diablo 4, then this action RPG dungeon crawler could be for you. It is in Early Access, which means we continuously get new content, like with the addition of the Runemaster class on September 7. A full release is planned for the end of the year.
Last Epoch is a PC exclusive.
The Crew Motorfest Gameplay Trailer Steers to ONL
Ubisoft is getting ready to deliver The Crew Motorfest, a Hawaii-based entry that strays away from the country-wide installments. This is like Ubisoft’s Forza Horizon as we explore Hawaii with challenges, races, and more. The festival setting delivers a new personality to The Crew as we step into the driver’s seat of a variety of cars. The latest trailer highlights the environment and the types of cars you can drive.
The Crew Motorfest releases on September 14 for PS4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and PC.
Fort Solis Launch Trailer
To celebrate the release of Fort Solis, a new trailer was revealed at the event. This short single-player thriller follows Jack as he responds to an alarm at a mining base. Explore the facility to uncover answers to this mystery of what happened at the mining base. It will star big names, with Troy Baker, Roger Clark, and Julia Brown. For sci-fi horror fans, this will be for you to check out and get through before the wave of bigger game releases flood the rest of the year starting in September.
Fort Solis is available now on PS5 and PC.
Lords of the Fallen Receives a Story Trailer
We have a deeper look at the story of Lords of the Fallen. It is nothing new to be announced at Opening Night Live, but the excitement grows the more we see of this Soulslike. Go on a journey through the realms of the living and dead to defeat the demon god Adyr. You do not need to have played the 2014 game, as this has few similarities. It is more of a reboot than a sequel while sticking to the universe, as it is set 1,000 years after the original game.
Lords of the Fallen will be released on October 13 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Genshin Impact Concert Reveal Trailer
Genshin Impact came in with a surprising reveal that went above much of everything announced at Opening Night Live. The tour will go from October 2023 to September 2024. The music of the game will come to 12 cities around the world. The show will be conducted by Eric and Arnie Roth, who conducted other video game concerts like Final Fantasy shows. A visual element will accompany the concert, similar to what The Game Awards did this year with its concert of various video game music.
Genshin Impact fans should look out for shows in their cities. The countries that receive shows will be the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Mexico, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
Honkai: Star Rail Arriving on PS5 With a Technical Test
Popular mobile and PC game Honkai: Star Rail is coming to the PS5 alongside an accompanying trailer. You will create a four-person squad to go on your adventures with you. In this fantasy world, you will be fighting challenging enemies, solving puzzles, and getting rewards for the various tasks you complete.
If you played before, you can link your account to your PSN to maintain your save when the port releases. Although there is no date for the full release, registration for a beta test is available for you to try out how the game plays on PS5. The test will begin on September 4.
Zenless Zone Zero Gameplay Trailer
If you like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, then you should be excited as the developers are coming out with a new action RPG, Zenless Zone Zero. The footage gives a look at the sci-fi city of New Eridu. Unlike the previously mentioned games, this will have a traditional combat system of parries and attacks, putting it more toward familiar action RPGs. We got to see some beefy bosses and the plentiful playable characters that will give options on the playstyle you prefer.
No release date or platforms have been announced for Zenless Zone Zero. We should expect possibilities for PC, mobile, and PlayStation based on Honkai and Genshin Impact.
Payday 3 Trailer Featuring Ice T
The latest trailer for Payday 3 was introduced by a surprise guest, rapper and actor Ice T. After a quick introduction, we got straight into a little more than a minute of gameplay. Payday fans should expect more of the formula with lessons learned from its predecessor. We got to see stealth gameplay, but like any heist, it goes terribly wrong as the thieves get into a gunfight with the police. It was action-packed, highlighting various gadgets and weapons for both thieves and law enforcement.
Payday 3 will be released on September 21 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
New Tactical Shooter Delta Force: Hawk Ops Revealed
Delta Force is making a comeback with its ninth installment, Hawk Ops. The reveal trailer follows up on a teaser on the weekend before Gamescom. With the official announcement trailer, we have a clearer picture of this game. This free-to-play shooter will feature two online game modes: the extraction mode Hazard Operations, and a large-scale Battlefield-like mode called Havoc Warfare. There will also be a campaign that is inspired by Black Hawk Down. If you have been looking for a new military shooter outside of the dominant franchise’s then you can pre-register to get a taste of the game, which is currently in its pre-alpha stage.
Delta Force: Hawk Ops has no release date but will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, mobile, and PC.
Homeworld 3 Story Reveal Trailer
Beloved franchise Homeworld is in the marketing push right now for Homeworld 3. The story trailer gives us a captivating first look at the threatening Hiigaran forces. Characters are introduced as they prepare for battle, featuring an explosive galactic dogfight that excites us to control some ships. Like some other reveals at the event, this will be a major revival for a dormant series to delight longtime fans who have awaited a new entry for 20 years. If you like sci-fi and the RTS genre, 2024 will be the time to see what the fuss is about Homeworld.
Homeworld 3 will be released on PC sometime in February 2024.
Mandragora Gameplay Trailer Revealed
Mandragora made a splash with a gameplay trailer to highlight some side-scrolling action RPG goodness. This dark fantasy world is similar to other 2D side-scrollers like Blasphemous, including the brutality of its challenging gameplay. It is meant to deliver a challenging experience as you traverse diverse biomes and fight horrific monsters. With multiple classes and customization, these challenges can be tackled your way as you discover the playstyle that fits your preference. Use what you have at your disposal, like tools, herbs, and armor, to craft for the best loadout.
Mandragora will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC sometime in 2024.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin Release Date Given in New Trailer
Warhammer expands every genre of gaming imaginable. If you need another RTS to play, Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin has a release date with its latest trailer for November 17. The date is quite refreshing as you will have time to play the slew of games releasing between now and October. Unlike some other RTS games releasing in the near future, this is meant to be open for newcomers. To ease you in, there will be a campaign to go through to learn the basics. When you feel ready, there will be 1v1 and 2v2 multiplayer modes to scratch that competitive itch.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin will be available on November 17 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Ara: History Untold Gameplay Reveal Trailer
Xbox is taking big swings into the strategy genre. Ara: History Untold will be a first-party turned-based strategy game reminiscent of Civilization. The formula is much of the same: You pick a civilization and build out your nation over the course of centuries. You will manage various parts of these constantly moving gears, from agriculture to military. If you engage in combat, you will control it, giving you more power than seen in Civilization.
Ara: History Untold will be released sometime in 2024 for Xbox, PC, and will be included on day one on Game Pass for subscribers to download.
