Gamescom

This wasn't my first time in Cologne, but it was my first time at Gamescom. Young people, costumes, atmosphere, music and games everywhere you look, but also long lines, lots of advertising and plenty of crowds. Here's how I experienced the massive gaming expo.

Indie developer Ryan Laley’s Gamescom 2026 booth was stripped overnight, with his laptop and other demo equipment stolen alongside gear from several nearby exhibitors. Laley filed a police report and criticized the apparent lack of overnight security, but said he remains committed to completing his horror game, Mimic.

I was able to try out Total War: Warhammer 40,000 at Gamescom 2026. My first impression is quite good, though Creative Assembly certainly has its work cut out for it here.

For high-precision haptic feedback: The straptic is a wearable wristband designed to convey directional cues, g-forces in games, and critical status updates purely through touch. Beyond gaming, its potential applications extend into hands-free navigation.

The Genki Manta is an extremely well-equipped controller that comes with a display and its own feature-rich operating system. You can even play small games on it—but its real advantage is likely the ease and breadth of its configuration options.

Samsung has a large booth at Gamescom 2026, where it is showcasing new monitors and storage products. Gamers can even experience games in true 3D—and all without glasses.

Numerous keyboards, a headset, and a new mouse: Epomaker is currently showcasing its lineup at Gamescom and will do the same at IFA next week. Also featured is a collaboration with Human: Fall Flat.

The BBC questioned Xbox CEO Asha Sharma about the multiplatform status of The Elder Scrolls 6. At Gamescom 2026, Asha Sharma refused to confirm whether it will launch on the PS5, PS6, or Switch 2. As an exclusive, the Bethesda title would drive Xbox console adoption, but also impact game sales.

Samsung Display announces the start of mass production of a 24.5-inch Full HD QD-OLED panel designed for esports and FPS gaming. With a 0.03 ms response time, the new panel could soon bring QD-OLED to a much wider range of competitive gaming monitors.

SanDisk has unveiled a new SD Express card at Gamescom. It allows Switch 2 owners to upgrade to 1TB of storage and is also compatible with several Asus gaming handhelds. However, the card is very expensive.

Tropico 7 will launch in early 2027, bringing larger islands, expanded terraforming, deeper politics and a reworked military system. The game will arrive on PC and current-gen consoles, with multiplayer planned as a free post-launch update.

Samsung announced its 2027 Odyssey gaming monitor lineup at Gamescom, led by the 27-inch Odyssey G6 (G60H) featuring a world-first 1,100Hz refresh rate at 1080p and 600Hz at native 1440p with a 1ms response time. The expanded lineup includes the 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9, the 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8, and the 42-inch 4K Odyssey OLED G7.

Cherry is offering a new and particularly affordable gaming mouse. The XTRFY M42V2 aims to impress not only with its low price but also with a certain degree of modularity and a lightweight design.

The Agon AGP327KG was unveiled at Gamescom as the world’s first G-Sync Pulsar monitor with 5K resolution. It features RGB lighting at the back and a stand that supports pivot adjustment.

Ubisoft Paris reveals Rainbow Six Tactics at Gamescom 2026. Command 15 Siege operators in single-player, turn-based battles, launching in 2027 on PS5, Xbox, and PC.

HoYoverse announces Nodusfall at Gamescom 2026. Watch the reveal trailer for the Unreal Engine 5 dark fantasy co-op RPG featuring squad-based monster hunting.

The Mayhem Collection DLC for LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight launches September 18 with a playable Joker and Harley Quinn campaign. Here's what's confirmed.

CD Projekt Red has announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered, a free upgrade that comes with revamped combat, skills, and more fluid Roach controls. Existing owners will also receive Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine for free, while the game's third DLC, Songs of the Past, is scheduled to arrive in 2027.

Xbox dropped the official story trailer for Gears of War: E-Day at Gamescom 2026! Watch young Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago fight the Locust Horde on October 6.

Wildmagic Frontier blends tactical deckbuilding with Hero Forge miniatures in the world of Astara. Recruit companions, craft cards, and follow the project ahead of its September 10 Kickstarter launch.

​Geoff Keighley takes the stage in Cologne to host Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 on August 25. The two-hour live broadcast features global world premieres, developer interviews, and fresh gameplay trailers for anticipated titles including Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Gears of War: E-Day, and Metro 2039.

Koelnmesse and game confirm Gamescom 2026 has sold out its entire 233,000 sqm exhibition floor with 1,600 exhibitors and record indie participation.

Gryphline brings Arknights: Endfield's Homecoming demo to Anime NYC 2026 before a bigger Gamescom booth with boss speedrun challenges.

Xbox confirms its Gamescom 2026 booth in Hall 7, Cologne, with 140 playable stations for 25 games including Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

CD Projekt Red will livestream five days from Gamescom Cologne for The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, marking REDstreams' fifth anniversary ahead of the 2027 expansion.

Square Enix may be confident enough to offer a Final Fantasy 7 Revelation playable demo at Gamescom. A German site reported that an interactive version of the RPG will appear at the event. The release date for the remake trilogy’s conclusion does not arrive until Spring 2027.

Ubisoft confirms its Gamescom 2026 booth in Hall 6.1, led by a playable Rayman Legends Retold demo, developer panels, and live streams from August 26 to 29.

HoYoverse has detailed its Gamescom 2026 Cologne exhibition plans for Zenless Zone Zero and confirmed a winter 2026 crossover with Honkai: Star Rail.

Unlike past entries in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake may skip Gamescom. Nintendo does not list the Switch 2 game among the demos available at the event. With only a vague 2026 release date, fans are waiting for gameplay footage and pre-orders to open.

Gamescom 2026 is set to take place in Cologne at the end of August, and Microsoft is pulling out all the stops for the Xbox’s 25th anniversary: more than 20 games, 140 gaming stations, and several playable demos for high-profile titles like Metro 2039 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 are on the agenda. On Reddit, however, the mood remains surprisingly subdued.

HoYoverse brings Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero, and Gamescom debuts of Honkai: Nexus Anima and Petit Planet to Cologne, August 26-30.

Pearl Abyss will demo its open-world hit Crimson Desert at Gamescom 2026 using Samsung's upcoming Odyssey G8 6K dual-mode monitor.

Play the Gears of War: E-Day campaign early at Gamescom 2026. Xbox confirms its public show floor presence and details for the upcoming anticipated shooter.

Capcom confirms its Gamescom 2026 lineup in Hall 9. Get details on playable demos for Dragon's Dogma 2 Dark Arisen, Mega Man Dual Override, and Onimusha.

How well Microsoft can accommodate console gamers may determine the fate of the ROG Xbox Ally X. Digital Foundry discovered that its interface is in a rough state. With the ROG Xbox Ally X release date approaching, multiple aspects of the UI are works in progress.

Monster Hunter: World and Final Fantasy 14's upcoming crossover event originally came about as an idea that developed over drinks during Gamescom last year.

Many horror fans were envious of Gamescom 2025 attendees who played a Resident Evil Requiem demo. An IGN interview asks Capcom if there will be a downloadable preview in the future. The game’s director and producer also discuss whether more returning characters may play a role in its narrative.

Gamescom's Opening Night Live broke multiple records in 2025, including particularly impressive viewer numbers for the event online.

Studios attending Gamescom continue to wait for Nintendo to send essential Switch 2 dev kits. A Digital Foundry video details how the company encourages developers to release titles on the Switch instead. Gamers struggle to understand why Nintendo is not eager for more third-party Switch 2 games.

The Metroid Prime 4 release date remains a vague 2025 projection. A Gamescom demo is keeping players invested in the Switch 2 game, but it hasn’t relieved all fears of a delay. A YouTube podcaster was “incredibly disappointed” with its cumbersome mouse mode and the lack of new gameplay shown.

The Division 2: Survivors sees series veteran Magnus Jansen at the helm as Ubisoft fleshes out its plans for the franchise into 2026 and beyond.

Hollow Knight Silksong's unveil on the opening night of Gamescom has resulted in a somewhat unexpected beneficiary as the original indie title saw a fresh new high of its peak player count on Steam following the announcement.

Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection offers remasters of as many as 11 classic Mortal Kombat titles in a move that is expected to create plenty of goodwill for the publisher as it aims to cater to nostalgic players of the franchise.

Poncle unveiled Kill The Brickman, a brand new turn-based deckbuilder at Gamescom 2025. The game is already available on Steam, Xbox, and Xbox for PC at the time of writing.

Gamescom 2025 brought fans a fresh look at Deep Rock Galactic: Survivors with a brand-new trailer. Alongside the new gameplay footage came exciting news: the game will be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one this September.

According to the European Consumer Centre Germany, in-app purchases can cause ostensibly free games to result in high bills; parents should review protection mechanisms, as the advice on the topic has been updated leading up to Gamescom 2025.

Zotac has re-branded its second Zotac Zone gaming handheld. Initially shown in January, the device now known as the Zotac Zone Pro is slated to launch this October running Linux with OLED display and dual trackpads but a comparatively small battery.

Even with an October 16th release date, Microsoft and Asus haven’t finalized the ROG Xbox Ally price. Still, a new leak points to a pre-order date in September. The same source divulges the price of the unconfirmed Asus ROG Raikiri II Pro Xbox controller.