Geoff Keighley returned to Gamescom 2023 to host his annual Opening Night Live event, which acts as another showcase where various developers and publishers share big announcements and updates for upcoming game releases.
This year there were a number of new reveals paired with check-ins for new and already available titles, though you probably didn’t sit down to watch the full two-and-a-half-hour show. Most of the titles on display this time around were triple-A games, including at least one you likely have some interest in. It also had plenty of the usual Keighleyisms, like another viewer rushing the stage to demand information about GTA 6.
Regardless of what you were hoping to see, here is a full breakdown of Opening Night Live 2023 and all of the biggest, and weirdest, announcements contained within.
Every major announcement from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2023
Starfield gets a fresh look with live music and trailer
Ahead of its release, Starfield got a live performance of its main theme by legendary composer Inon Zur, along with a live-action trailer showcasing the scale of the game and its capability for player exploration.
Little Nightmares 3 is on the way to pair with new show
Little Nightmares 3 is officially on the way, though it is not being developed by the original team and instead is helmed by The Quarry devs over at Supermassive Games. It will release in 2024 and features online co-op.
There is also a new podcast airing called The Sounds of Nightmares telling a story in the universe of the game airing too.
Black Myth Wukong gets another amazing gameplay trailer
After a weekend of updates, the highly anticipated Soulslike Black Myth Wukong showed off another incredible trailer full of dynamic action and legendary battles.
Killing Floor 3 is real and on the way
A slow start to a trailer eventually transitioned into the announcement for Killing Floor 3, which got the chat popping and screaming “Finally!”
No date was attached to the project, but it is already up for wishlisting on Steam.
Age of Empires 4 Anniversary Edition is live on Xbox Game Pass
After a decent wait, Age of Empires 4: Anniversary Edition is finally optimized and available for players on Xbox—with all of the additional content you would expect from a special edition release.
Zack Snyder spent 10 minutes being Zack Snyder for Rebel Moon movie
If you wanted to see director Zack Snyder hop on stage and talk about his new movie Rebel Moon for what felt like 10 minutes, you can watch that. The film looks fine, but that is a chunk of time I won’t be getting back.
Crimson Desert gets a flashy new gameplay showcase
Crimson Desert looks like a mix of so many different RPG and action games, but it also looks like it is pulling the mix off. We still don’t have a date, but this trailer sold a lot of people and it honestly feels like it might get better the more time it spends in the oven.
Payday 3 has a mission featuring Ice-T
Payday 3 got a trailer that really felt like it was speeding up the gameplay to seem more actiony and less stealthy as a way to appeal to new players. It also confirmed it will have a mission featuring rapper Ice-T.
Another look at Assassin’s Creed Mirage
If you needed another look at Assasin’s Creed Mirage, this sure was another look at Assasin’s Creed Mirage. The game releases on Oct. 5 and it looks exactly like a modern spin on the classic AC forumla should.
Tekken 8 is finally locked in for 2024
Tekken 8 got a release date after almost a year of slow-ball reveals. It will drop on Jan. 26, 2024 and will feature 32 fighters. New modes will be included too.
Related: Tekken 8’s roster total and new mode shown with launch date at Gamescom ONL
Call of Duty gets a handful of hits in first gameplay reveal
CoD Modern Warfare 3 got its first gameplay reveal and more details shared about its campaign, Zombies, and other content. It teases a lot of throwbacks to the classic title and also finally confirmed that players can access a beta in a few months.
Nightingale is coming to early access in early 2024
Players finally have a timeframe when they can test out the fantasy shooter Nightingale, with the developers confirming its early access is hitting PC on Feb. 22, 2024.
Granblue Fantasy Relink sets its worldwide release
One of the most anticipated, large-scale action RPGs finally got a release date and an amazing new look at its world. Granblue Fantasy Relink is hitting PlayStation and PC on Feb. 1, 2024.
Honkai: Star Rail to begin its PS5 tests soon while Genshin Impact goes underwater
Honkai: Star Rail got a new trailer to spotlight a few characters, but the big news was a new technical test for the PS5 version of the game dropping on Aug. 23 ahead of a release on console later this year.
Meanwhile, Genshin Impact showed a trailer for its next update that features underwater locations.
Zenless Zone Zero finally gets a new trailer
MiHoYo’s next title, Zenless Zone Zero also got a trailer that introduced more new characters and showed off plenty of flashy action—and someone playing a colorful version of Snake.
Lords of the Fallen is looking good
If you are excited for Lords of the Fallen on Oct. 13, this story trailer probably can hype you up even further. There wasn’t much to it beyond that though.
Sonic Frontiers is headed toward its finale
Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon looks to be the final piece of DLC content for the 2022 title. It will feature a new story, new playable characters, and more content as part of a free update on Sept. 28.
Sonic Superstars is dropping in October
While Sonic Fronties is ending, Sonic Superstars will take the stage on Oct. 17 putting it right up against Super Mario Wonder.
Related: Iconic Mario voice Charles Martinet won’t be in Wonder but will still get one last outing
Fort Solis gets a spotlight
Fort Solis is out now, so if you want some dramatic survival action, check it out on PS5 or Steam.
Expedition trudges through mud for a reveal
If you ever wanted to traverse a lot of tought terrains in various vehicles, Expedition: A MudRunner Game is for you. Focus Entertainment is back to task players with trekking through expeditions in new environments.
The Crew Motorfest sure looks like racing
Racing is the name of the game and The Crew Motorfest looks like it will scratch any fast-paced itch when it launches on Sept. 14.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty gets its world premiere trailer and info dump
The wait for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is just about over, and the hype continues to grow as each trailer shows more changes to the game and how players can make the experience their own.
Stormgate is finally ready to show gameplay
Stormgate finally showed a glimpse of more gameplay with a peak behind the scenes, though it still wasn’t enough to really justify a spot on the stage. An open beta is still planned for this year.
Last Epoch shows more top down action
The developers behind Last Epoch went deep with this showcase, talking about mechanics and the dept that will separate it fro other top-down action RPGs in the modern era of games. It launches on Sept. 7 and players are hyped for it.
Reminder that Armored Core 6 exists
If you somehow didn’t remember Armored Core 6 is out on Aug. 25 and this trailer just shows off even more incredible gameplay for the launch.
Related: A Souls fans guide to Armored Core
Warhaven is on the way
The last time Warhaven got a spotlight in a showcase, the free-to-play medieval combat game from Nexon didn’t really stand out. This trailer does a better job of highlighting the action, but it still looks kinda lackluster, and having rap music over your medieval game’s battles is a bit of an odd choice.
Mortal Kombat 1 gets more new content
Brutal, bloody, and now hairy too. Mortal Kombat 1 revealed more story content and four new characters joining the battle in different ways.
General Shao and Sindel are going to be playable while Motaro and Shujinko will be Kameo Fighters. The game launches on Sept. 14.
Related: Mortal Kombat 1’s ‘craziest trailer’ reveals two new fighters at Gamescom ONL
Ara: History Untold struts around civilization
More simulation titles! Ara: History Untold brings turn-bases strategy to Xbox as a title developed by Oxide Games under Xbox Game Studios. It is gunning to take some market share from Civilization while the taking is good.
Diablo IV: Season of Blood is on the way
More Diablo IV content is on the way, and it is bringing some undead “friends” with the launch of Season of Blood on Oct. 17.
Get ready for some feels with character-driven Dustborn
A story about “hope, love, friendships, robots…and the power of words” is how Red Thread Games describes the action-adventure title Dustborn. This trailer sure showcased that approach to character-driven content and, if I play it when it launches in 2024, I will probably cry at least once.
Be a comedic little guy in Thank Goodness You’re Here!
If you want some comedy content in an interesting art style, this is your game. Thank Goodness You’re Here! will release in 2024 on PC, PS5, and Switch.
Finally! Alan Wake gameplay for Alan Wake 2
Our first look at Alan Wake’s gameplay in Alan Wake 2 is how the ONL team decided to wrap things up. The game still looks incredibly trippy in all of the right ways and will launch on Oct. 27 after its previous delay.
