With any gaming event, we all have our predictions and hopes as to what will be shown. Geoff Keighley always has something interesting up his sleeve, and this will no doubt hold true for next week’s Gamescom 2023 Opening Night Live, so we have some things in mind on what we should expect. The main event will run from August 23-27, with the Gamescom Opening Night Live happening on August 22 as a pre-show for the German gaming event. By looking at what was shown last year, we will make our best-educated guesses on what we could see next week from The Game Awards host.
What Fans Can Expect From Gamescom 2023 Opening Night Live
You can watch Geoff Keighley’s Gamescom Opening Night Live 2023 above, right here on The Nerd Stash! Otherwise, you can watch it via the event’s YouTube channel at 11am PDT / 12pm MDT / 1pm CDT / 2pm EDT.
Alan Wake 2
Geoff Keighley has set the stage for what we can expect from Opening Night Live 2023, focusing on updates on games releasing within the next year rather than announcing a stack of new projects. Not many of these updates have been confirmed, but we will get more information on Alan Wake 2 at the event. As the game was just delayed by ten days, we should expect a deeper dive that could still be shallower than what was showcased at Summer Game Fest. Hopefully, we will see gameplay of the titular character as the last update focused on the other protagonist, Agent Saga.
Black Myth: Wukong
The other game confirmed to make an appearance is Black Myth: Wukong. The Soulslike third-person action game will deliver current-gen action and exploration as powered by Unreal Engine 5. We have seen plenty of gameplay videos released by the developers, so more information on its release and gameplay would be welcome. Epic boss battles, various abilities, and what the world holds while exploring have been showcased, but we could use more details as to what else we should expect. Since it has been almost a year of relative silence, we hope to know when we can finally get our hands on this fresh take on Soulslikes in a space that is seeing the genre expand with Lies of P and Lords of the Fallen.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
This massive expansion to Cyberpunk 2077 known as Phantom Liberty will come toward the end of September. Beyond having another celebrity in the game with Idris Elba, we will dive into a new area with plenty of fresh implementations. The expansion will overhaul the base game, providing a revamped cybernetics system and skill trees, which could be shown off during the showcase. As we dive into Dog Town, the new district being introduced, we will have a closer representation of the original idea behind Cyberpunk 2077. From everything we can expect at Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night, showcasing Cyberpunk 2077‘s biggest swing for a final comeback would make for a huge splash.
Forza Motorsport
Xbox will have a behemoth of a presence at Gamescom with 30 games available to play for attendees and 150 gaming stations. With Forza Motorsport releasing on October 10 and confirmed to be playable at Gamescom, Xbox might as well get people hyped by providing a new look at the racing game. We have seen plenty of new features, like the overhauled career mode and customization. By giving it one of the biggest stages in the industry, the new Forza Motorsport could use this to get people into the mindset to hit the racetracks during a busy Fall.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
To no surprise, a new Call of Duty is coming. The reboot of Modern Warfare continues with this third installment. Leaks have come out ahead of its November 10 release, so now would be the time to get ahead of more leaks and rumors to show off what we can expect from the next installment. Showcases for the franchise always make for an explosive entrance with the game’s blockbuster scale. We got a teaser of the gameplay, but as that was more cinematic, having a developer come on stage to walk us through new systems for classic and innovative takes on the popular shooter would scratch the itch of general audiences wanting to dive into fun, mindless action.
Super Mario RPG
Nintendo loves to play coy, but we know that out of everything to expect from Gamescom 2023, the company will most definitely have a presence, and we hope that will include Opening Night. One of its last big first-party releases will be the remake of Super Mario RPG. Modernizing the SNES original will come with updated graphics that fit the way modern Mario games look. Other than that, we are unsure how the gameplay will be improved. The gameplay reveal delivered a taste, but a classic Nintendo voiceover showcase would clear up our questions. The title looks to keep the turn-based combat, but we are curious about what new advancements have been made.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Prince of Persia is returning as one of the few games with a 2024 date. As it will set the bar for next year by releasing toward the top of 2024, Ubisoft can use ONL to deliver a better showcase after its disappointing presentation earlier this summer. This title will go back to the original games’ style of side-scrolling gameplay. Ubisoft knows how to make dense games, so more can certainly be shown of its puzzle-solving, bosses, movement, and other features. January is not far away, so Ubisoft will want to keep pushing the marketing, and the German gaming event will be the place to do it.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Arkham developer Rocksteady is back with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The co-op supervillain game has received mixed reactions due to its microtransactions and the overall style that contrasts against the popular Arkham trilogy. After many delays, it will be released on February 2, 2024. As the biggest game with a concrete date in 2024, Rocksteady needs to win people over with its upcoming game. After quite a long time without a major release, people are hungry for a DC game from the creators of some of the best Batman games. While the core game is not getting changed during the latest delay, enough could be polished to present it in a way that changes minds. A better showcase of the gameplay and excellent writing that people know from the team could be the way to get this title back on track.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Senua’s Sage: Hellblade 2 has been quiet on all fronts for a while. We have seen enough of what we can expect from its beautiful visuals and sound design. A gameplay video from last year gave us a taste, but not enough to sate appetites. The first display had stiff combat and clever Nordic puzzles. While the glimpse of combat was appetizing, it still left questions as to how Senua will move, attack, and solve puzzles in this current-gen adventure. As Xbox needs big games to maintain momentum after Starfield and Forza Motorsport, a release date will be a way to get ahead of the competition, as most developers have not laid out definitive dates for 2024.
Opening Night Live will be live-streamed at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET/7 p.m. BST/8 p.m. CET/ 4 a.m. AET on August 22.
