Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026: Start time, how to watch and all the games we're expecting to see
Coming to you live and direct from Cologne, Germany
Gamescom Opening Night Live is one of the biggest events in gaming's annual calendar and the 2026 event is almost here. We're expecting to see some new announcements and extended looks at some of the most exciting upcoming games for PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.
Cologne in Germany is the city playing host to Gamescom and we've got members of the Tom's Guide team on the ground in the city to get in amongst the action. Geoff Keighley will host today's two-hour opening showcase later today and we've already had a few announcements about what to expect.
The biggest reveals are expected to be The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, Final Fantasy VII Revelation and Game of Thrones: War for Westeros. Gears of War fans will also be on the lookout for more footage of Gears of War: E-Day. Elsewhere, we're expecting a new entry in the post-apocalyptic Metro series.
The event itself is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. BST, and we’re going to be guiding you through all the buildup as well as covering the show itself live, so you don't miss a thing.
How to watch Gamescom Opening Night Live
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 will take place today (August 25) at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. BST.
If you didn't manage to get tickets to Cologne yourself, don't worry. The show is being livestreamed across the globe on the Gamescom YouTube and Twitch channels. Or you can just watch the embedded link below!
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The full Gamescom schedule
The Opening Night Live showcase is just the beginning of the various events at Gamescom this year. Because there can be a lot to keep track of, here's a handy schedule of all the different shows, including when they start, depending on your time zone.
Show |
Date |
ET |
PT |
BST |
Gamescom Opening Night Live |
August 25 |
2pm |
11am |
7pm |
REDStreams |
August 25 |
4am - 1pm |
1am - 10am |
9am - 6pm |
Xbox Live broadcast 1 |
August 26 |
10am |
7am |
3pm |
Future Games Show |
August 26 |
1pm |
10am |
6pm |
Xbox Live broadcast 2 |
August 27 |
10am |
7am |
3pm |
Gamescom Awesome Indies show |
August 27 |
2pm |
11am |
7pm |
FGS Best of Gamescom |
August 30 |
1pm |
10am |
6pm |
Final Fantasy VII Revelation is going to be epic
Final Fantasy VII Revelation is the final chapter in Square Enix's reimagined trilogy and is currently slated to land sometime in 2027. Geoff Keighley has confirmed the game's director Naoki Hamaguchi will take to the stage at Gamescom to show off more of what's in store for Cloud and the gang.
Platforms have already been confirmed with Final Fantasy VII Revelation set to launch simultaneously across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027.
We learned from Hamaguchi during Summer Game Fest that the concluding chapter in the trilogy will be about "resolve". Expect a lot of emotion as each party member confronts their destiny in what'll probably be an epic conclusion to a masterful remake.
Toss a coin to your Witcher
The Witcher 3 is now over a decade old (it was released in May 2015) but CD Projekt Red is bringing another DLC to the table in the form of Songs of the Past. This is designed as a narrative bridge between the post-game state of The Witcher 3 and the upcoming Witcher 4.
Speaking of Witcher 4, CD Projekt Red CEO Michał Nowakowski has confirmed a 2028 release window for the upcoming game. That could mean a wait of up to two years for the game that's being built on Unreal Engine 5 — so probably a good job there's some DLC to keep us going.
![[PL/EN] Istotna wiadomość od Joint CEO Michała Nowakowskiego - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/o16W4QITg_0/maxresdefault.jpg)
Confirmed games for tonight's showcase
Geoff Keighley has already confirmed that eight titles will make an appearance at today's showcase. There's going to be a lot more to see, of course, but these are the games we know we're getting a look at:
The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past
Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Gears of War: E-Day
Ananta
Tides of Annihilation
Metro 2039
Game of Thrones: War for Westeros
Warlock: Dragons & Dungeons
Welcome to Gamescom 2026
Welcome to Tom's Guide's live coverage of Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026. We're expecting a massive showcase running through some of the most exciting upcoming video games.
The entire show is going to be a two-hour blitz of new announcements and extended looks. Our team is on the ground in Cologne right now, and we'll be keeping you updated throughout the day as we get closer to the event itself. Game on!
