Gamescom Opening Night Live May Not Announce As Many New Titles As You Think

Gamescom week is upon us but fans holding their breath over brand new titles during the showcase may be in for a disappointment. Geoff Keighley, who usually fronts the mega event and is set to host the Opening Night Live (ONL) showcase on August 22, says that this year's opening night is less about the announcement of new games, even though quite a few new titles are scheduled to be released during the five-day event.

"It’s going to be an exciting show with new looks at many announced upcoming games like Alan Wake 2, and Black Myth Wukong,” Keighley said in a recent interview. “This year’s ONL is less about announcing brand new projects, and more about giving fans updates on some of the biggest games due out over the next year.”
 

Read More:  Gamescom 2023: Opening Night Live, Line-Up, And More

Gamescom Is Bigger But Not Without Its Challenges

Considered the world's largest gaming convention, Gamescom 2023 will be held at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany and is known to host game premieres, cosplay events, e-sports tournaments, stage shows, panels and also offers a look at upcoming titles. Last year, the opening night lasted more than two hours and the showcase included more than 35 games. It featured game reveals like New Tales from the Borderlands, the new Lords of the Fallen, Wyrdsong, and Dune: Awakening. 

This year's edition has already seen a 10 per cent increase in the number of companies with exhibitors from 60 countries and bigwigs like Microsoft, Nintendo and Bandai Namco have already announced that they will have a presence at the event (Xbox is seemingly curating its largest booth to date). So it's surprising that the ONL is pulling back on new announcements. But Keighley has cited logistical challenges as a major hurdle. 

"First, there are the logistical challenges for our LA-based team to produce a big-scale show in Cologne, Germany. Thankfully Gamescom and Kolnemesse are great partners," he said.  “The other challenge – but also an opportunity – is that this show is directly tied to the partners and games that will be exhibiting at Gamescom. We’re always trying to find ways to create synergy between what’s happening on the floor and inside ONL.”

The convention is also Europe's largest business platform for the gaming industry and this year the event is larger in size with the gross exhibition area increasing by 10,000 square meters and some new expansions for a creator co-working space and allotted signing areas. 

ONL will stream live on Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 2 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PDT/7 p.m. BST/8 p.m. CEST.