Gamescom returns this August 25, 2026, with plenty of world premieres and reveals. Read on to learn more about the exhibition’s schedule and announcements.
Everything We Know About Gamescom 2026
Gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live Starts on August 25 at 11:00 A.M. PT / 2:00 P.M. ET
Gamescom 2026 will officially take place from August 26 to 30 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany. The event’s schedule, though, begins earlier in the week. Gamescom dev will run through August 24 and 25 before Geoff Keighley kicks off the main festivities with Gamescom Opening Night Live (ONL) on August 25, at 11:00 A.M. PT / 2:00 P.M. ET.
The showcase will once again serve as the event’s major opening presentation, with world premieres, trailers, and other announcements expected throughout the show. Gamescom itself will then open its exhibition halls on August 26, with the public able to attend from August 27 through August 30.
Check out the table below to see when the livestream will start in your region!
| Region | Stream Start Time |
|---|---|
| United States (ET) | Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 2:00 p.m. |
| United States (PT) | Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 11:00 a.m. |
| United Kingdom | Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 7:00 p.m. |
| Central Europe | Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 8:00 p.m. |
| New Zealand | Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 7:00 a.m. |
| Australian East Coast | Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 4:00 a.m. |
| Australian West Coast | Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 2:00 a.m. |
| Japan | Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 3:00 a.m. |
| Philippines | Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 2:00 a.m. |
| South Africa | Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 8:00 p.m. |
| Brazil | Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 3:00 p.m. |
| Universal Time (UTC) | Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 6:00 p.m. |
What To Expect at Gamescom 2026
Confirmed Games to Appear in Gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live
Gamescom 2026 will have no shortage of announcements, but ONL will be the event’s main stage for major reveals and new looks before the show floor opens. More games are likely to be added before the presentation, but the following titles are the ones publicly confirmed for ONL:
⚫︎ Final Fantasy VII Revelation
⚫︎ The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past
⚫︎ Metro 2039
⚫︎ Silent Hill: Townfall
⚫︎ Tides of Annihilation
⚫︎ Game of Thrones: War for Westeros
⚫︎ AION 2
⚫︎ Cinder City
⚫︎ Project Bonfire
Gamescom 2026 Show Floor and Activities
Gamescom 2026 will fill Koelnmesse with games from across the industry, with the entire available exhibition space already booked for this year's event. Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom, SEGA, Ubisoft, Bandai Namco, Electronic Arts, Konami, CD Projekt Red, HoYoverse, NetEase, and many more companies will have booths at the convention. The size of the event means there should be a lot to explore once attendees get past the main stages, especially for anyone looking to try games that are still a few months away from release.
Xbox is bringing 25 upcoming games and 140 playable stations, with Gears of War: E-Day, Fable, Metro 2039, Stranger Than Heaven, and Alien: Isolation 2 among the games attendees can try.
Capcom will have around 60 demo stations for its own lineup. Four games are confirmed for the booth: Dragon’s Dogma II: Dark Arisen, Mega Man: Dual Override, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Street Fighter 6. SEGA, meanwhile, will feature five themed areas with playable demos for games like Crazy Taxi World Tour and even Persona 4 Revival.
Ubisoft is giving visitors a 20-minute hands-on session with Rayman Legends Retold, and Bandai Namco will have The Blood of Dawnwalker, ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE, and DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 3 available at its booth.
Those demos are only one part of what the publishers have planned. Ubisoft's booth, for example, will have developer talks for Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced and Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a community session for Rainbow Six Siege, and new content announcements for Anno 117: Pax Romana.
Xbox will have its own developer appearances and interactive experiences tied to its 25th anniversary. Other exhibitors will have their own presentations and activities across the halls throughout the week.
Visitors can spend time away from the publisher booths, too. Gamescom's Social Stage will host community programming, the Cosplay Village will return for another year, and the Gamescom Cosplay Contest will take place on August 29. Games Done Quick will make its first European appearance at the event from August 28 to 30, with live speedrunning scheduled across all three days.
What is Gamescom?
Gamescom is the world’s largest gaming convention, held annually in Cologne, Germany. Organized by Koelnmesse and the German Games Industry Association, it serves as a major platform for developers, publishers, and tech companies to reveal new titles, showcase upcoming content, and connect with fans and industry professionals.
Typically taking place in late August, the event opens with Gamescom: Opening Night Live, a broadcast featuring world premieres and major announcements. The following days typically offer hands-on demos, panels, esports competitions, and exhibitions covering everything from AAA releases to indie games and emerging tech like VR.
