Gamescom 2022 kicked off its Opening Night Live event on Tuesday, showcasing over 30 titles, ranging from indie to AAA projects. The two-hour show was held in Cologne, Germany, with a live in-person audience, following up on a tamer summer sparked by the cancellation of E3. The last couple of years saw Gamescom succumb to a digital, online-only presentation, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the event is scheduled to run for four days — August 24 to August 28 — showcasing developer interviews, concerts, on-site demos, and more publisher presentations. Key highlights this time include trailers for Dead Island 2, Gotham Knights, Telltale’s Expanse, New Tales from the Borderlands, and Hogwarts Legacy.
For your convenience, we have listed below the biggest video game announcements at Gamescom Opening Night Live, hosted by Geoff Keighley.
Dead Island 2
Release date: February 3
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, PC (Epic Games Store)
After spending years in development hell, Dead Island 2 finally showed its face at Gamescom Opening Night Live. Contrary to the name, the title is set in the middle of Los Angeles and stars six playable characters, who are described to have “larger than life personalities” with unique dialogue that fits in with the pulpy vibe the game is aiming for. As expected with zombie-killing titles, combat is primarily melee-based with a touch of superhuman abilities, that you gained from being infected. Fear not, as you are totally immune to being turned into a brain eater, and can enjoy visceral, blood-oozing gameplay.
Gotham Knights
Release date: October 21
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PC
The upcoming soft reboot of WB Games Montréal’s Batman arc, Gotham Knights, showcased a new “Villains” trailer. Following the death of billionaire playboyBruce Wayne, the remaining Bat Family takes on the reigns to protect the city of Gotham, overrun by volatile criminals belonging to supervillain factions. The new trailer offered a first look at Harley Quinn’s design, who seems to be locked up in a cell before breaking out and running a crime campaign. The gooey Clayface made an appearance as well, sending out his muddy villains out on field, while a skinny Professor Pyg terrorised the streets at night.
Dune: Awakening
Release date: Coming soon
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PC
If you believe Denis Villeneuve’s feature film didn’t do enough justice to the Dune epic, here is another medium to sink into. Dune: Awakening is an open-world survival MMO take on Frank Herbert’s classic novel, developed by Funcom. The trailer begins with a voiceover of Paul Atreides’ “Fear is the mind-killer” monologue, as he stares down a cliff, revealing a deadly Sandworm that plagues the surface of desert planet Arrakis. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that his eyes are blue, signifying that he has mastered the art of the spice aka “melange” — set some time after the movie, though it’s not a sequel.
The Callisto Protocol
Release date: December 2
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, PC
From the creators of Dead Space, comes The Callisto Protocol, a third-person space survival horror game that takes you on a deadly trip through an intergalactic space sewage system. Set on Jupiter’s dead moon Callisto in the year 2320, players must navigate their way through spooky corridors, as they battle incoming hordes of aliens and uncover the secrets surrounding the Black Iron Prison. Besides firearms, your character is equipped with telekinesis, allowing you to move enemies from a distance, and chuck them into sharp razors and other dangerous areas.
Hogwarts Legacy
Release date: February 10
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, PC
Fresh from announcing a three-month delay, Hogwarts Legacy got a new trailer to kick off Gamescom. The latest trailer focused on the complications of using and succumbing to dark magic in the upcoming Harry Potter RPG. Players can befriend Slytherin student Sebastian Sallow and uncover his family’s well-hidden secrets through his companion quest line. Set in the 1800s, long before the Chosen One was born, Hogwarts Legacy tasks players with creating custom witches or wizards and embarking on a whimsical journey to save the wizarding world from falling apart.
New Tales from the Borderlands
Release date: October 21
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Following an Amazon leak last week, Gearbox Software finally unveiled the trailer for New Tales from the Borderlands. As a spiritual successor to Telltale’s narrative piece, this new story introduces “a trio of losers” — one of them bound to a wheelchair — as they rebel against the oppressive invasion of Tediore. Just like the original, the story will be divided into five chapters, featuring a choice-based dialogue system that affects the plot threads. The sequel also features a big visual boost, thanks to the switch to Unreal Engine.
Sonic Frontiers
Release date: November 8
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
A story trailer for SEGA’s upcoming “open zone” title, Sonic Frontiers was revealed at ONL. A mysterious stranger lurks in the wondrous landscape where the iconic blue hedgehog resides. The malevolent-looking child seems to dislike Sonic’s powers, stating that it endangers the world. The trailer then cuts to the familiar fast-paced gameplay, as Sonic sprints around giant loops and platforms in search of the missing Chaos Emeralds — to try and save the inhabitants from the colossal, mechanised threat.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series
Release date: Summer 2023
Platform: TBA
Telltale is back with a video game adaptation of The Expanse — now streaming on Prime Video — starring Cara Gee as Carina Drummer. Developer Deck Nine Games revealed a gameplay trailer showcasing magnetic boots to walk on walls and the use of Zero-G thrusters to float into the void. It features similar Ngameplay as other Telltale titles, where you can pick your own dialogues and push dedicated buttons during quick-time events. Stuck on The Artemis spaceship, players must investigate a series of bloody murders, as they venture through dark hallways and space rubble.
Lies of P
Release date: 2023
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, PC
Blending Victorian-era architecture with a steampunk aesthetic, Lies of P is a new Souls-like title, that throws the long-nosed Pinocchio into the bleak, gothic city of Krat. The blood-covered streets are overtaken by nightmarish living dolls, lurking about and murdering all that is living. Awakened by our maker’s voice, players must venture into the night and face these mechanised enemies in punishing combat, reminiscent of Bloodborne. You can mess around with several weapons builds, spells, and grapple around town.
