Gamescom 2026 will feature a new trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation and the debut of Rainbow 6 Tactics.

Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come once again for Cloud Strife to make his grand return. But this time, it's not just him - we have a whole slew of exciting releases to look forward to. From the highly anticipated Lego Skylines to the much-awaited Path Of Exile 2 1.0, and even the eerie Ontos, the list is certainly something to get excited about.

And what better way to kick off Gamescom 2026 than with the Opening Night Live event? In the past, E3 was considered the ultimate gaming event of the year. But now, with it being a thing of the past, Gamescom has taken over as the biggest event in the industry.

It easily surpasses other showcases, such as the Tokyo Game Show, and has always been open to the public. And this year, we were treated to a livestream of the event, hosted by none other than The Game Awards' very own Geoff Keighley. Compared to The Game Awards and Keighley's Summer Game Fest, Opening Night Live may not have as many big announcements.

However, this year we were pleasantly surprised with the reveal of The Witcher 3 Remastered. There were also plenty of new trailers for already existing games, and a few smaller reveals throughout the two-hour event. But perhaps the most exciting announcement was the new trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, along with an appearance from director Naoki Hamaguchi.

While he didn't reveal much, we did learn that the game will be releasing in spring 2027 and will be available on multiple platforms, including the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. As the final installment in the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy, Revelation promises to be an incredible experience. The first two games have received high praise for their balance between nostalgia and innovation, and we can't wait to see how it all comes together in the end.

Moving on to the rest of Opening Night Live, it seemed there were fewer on-stage appearances compared to previous years. Instead, we were treated to a string of trailers, mainly for games that have already been announced and are set to release this year. However, we did get a glimpse of some new and intriguing titles.

Nodus Fall, from HoYoverse, caught our attention with its clear inspiration from FromSoftware games. While it may not be the most original concept, it still looks like a promising addition to the genre. We were also delighted to see Ubisoft's upcoming Rainbow Six Tactics, a big-budget turn-based tactics game set to release on next-gen consoles and PC next year.

Indie game Lofsöng may have left us scratching our heads, but it certainly looked visually stunning and reminded us of the beloved game Cocoon. On the other hand, War For Westeros continues Warner Bros.' trend of avoiding console-based Game Of Thrones games, as it will be released exclusively for PC as a real-time strategy game. Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons caught our attention with its delightful mix of campy fun and nonsense.

And along with Exodus, it's part of Wizards Of The Coast's efforts to focus on video game development. However, recent news suggests that these plans may have been cut short, as the company's ambitions have been scaled back. Paradox Interactive's Afterworld seems to be a grand strategy game set in a post-apocalyptic America, while Stage Tour gave us some major nostalgia for the golden era of Guitar Hero.

And while Lego Skylines was only briefly shown, the concept of a Lego city builder based on the popular adult-oriented game Cities: Skylines seems like a perfect fit. Fans of Path Of Exile can rejoice, as the long-awaited sequel, Path Of Exile 2, will finally be getting a full release on December 11. And for those who love turn-based strategy games, there's a remake of Heroes Of Might And Magic 3 in the works.

While the night was filled with exciting announcements, the most chilling trailer of the night was for Ontos, the spiritual sequel to Soma from Frictional Games. It promises to deliver more puzzle-based gameplay and horror thrills, and we can't wait to see what they have in store for us. Overall, Opening Night Live was a solid event with a decent lineup of games.

If there are any other major announcements to be made this year, it's highly unlikely that they will be at the Tokyo Game Show next month. That leaves us with The Game Awards in December or a surprise livestream from a publisher. Either way, we can't wait to see what the future holds for the gaming industry.

If you want to stay updated on the latest gaming news and reviews, be sure to sign up for the GameCentral newsletter. It offers a unique take on the week in gaming, along with exclusive expert analysis and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning, it's the perfect way to stay in the loop.

Don't forget to also follow us on Twitter and leave your comments and thoughts below. And if you have a letter or a feature you want to submit, you can easily do so through our "Submit Stuff" page. Thank you for joining us for this exciting event, and we can't wait to see you at the next one.