The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past and Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Lead gamescom 2026 ONL

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 is shaping up to be a significant event for RPG fans, with new expansions and sequels taking centre stage. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the showcase will air on 25 August at 11am PT/2pm ET/8pm CEST, promising a mix of confirmed reveals and tightly held surprises. While much of the running order remains under wraps, several high-profile games have been officially announced for the broadcast, and speculation is mounting about what else could appear.

Confirmed Games and Reveals

The headline announcement is the first look at The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past, a third expansion for CD Projekt Red's acclaimed RPG, arriving twelve years after the original release. This new content, co-developed with Fool's Theory, is described as a prologue to The Witcher 4 and is expected to clarify the significance of Geralt's mysterious third sword, as well as its setting and timeline within the broader Witcher universe. Fans will be watching closely for details on the expansion's location and narrative context.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the concluding chapter of Square Enix's remake trilogy, will also feature prominently. Director Naoki Hamaguchi is set to present new footage, following June's Summer Game Fest segment that highlighted Highwind airship traversal and the introduction of Vincent Valentine and Cid as playable party members. The upcoming reveal may delve deeper into these characters or offer a more story-driven preview, but Square Enix has not confirmed the exact focus.

Other confirmed appearances include a new trailer for Gears of War: E-Day, which will expand on the prequel's story and showcase Marcus Fenix in action. Game of Thrones: War for Westeros will debut its gameplay reveal, offering a first look at its real-time strategy mechanics and playable factions, from the Starks to the White Walkers. Additional titles set for the show are Ananta, a free-to-play open-world game from NetEase, the sci-fi horror Ontos from Frictional Games, Showa American Story, rhythm title Stage Tour, and a musical performance for Mewgenics, which could signal new content or a platform expansion.

What Might Be Announced

With much of the ONL schedule still unannounced, speculation is rife about which September releases could make an appearance. Potential candidates include Marvel's Wolverine, Control Resonant, Silent Hill: Townfall, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. New trailers or gameplay segments for these titles are plausible, given their proximity to launch and the event's global reach.

October's line-up may also be represented, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 likely to continue the franchise's tradition of gamescom showcases. The game is currently in beta, and a new gameplay segment could be shown. Phantom Blade Zero, which recently featured at State of Play, may also return with additional footage of its combat systems.

Looking Further Ahead

Beyond 2026, several major projects could receive updates. Fable, Playground Games' reboot of the classic RPG, is scheduled for 2027 and may offer a new look at its combat or world design. Metro 2039, reportedly the darkest entry in the shooter series, is expected early next year and could reveal gameplay for the first time. Other long-rumoured titles such as God of War Laufey, Exodus, Persona 6, or a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remain unconfirmed for ONL, but their appearance would be notable if announced.

Not every anticipated game will be present, however. Grand Theft Auto VI, for example, is scheduled for a separate reveal on Netflix two days after ONL, so its absence from the show is already confirmed. For context on how platform reliability and digital rights can affect access to games, see this recent report on Xbox's investigation into disc game outages.

What Remains Uncertain

Despite the confirmed line-up, much of the ONL event remains a mystery. The organisers have kept additional announcements tightly controlled, and there is no official word on surprise reveals or platform-specific exclusives. The running order and length of each segment have not been disclosed, and it is unclear whether any major hardware or service updates will be included. As always, the potential for last-minute changes or unannounced world premieres remains high, but only the live broadcast will confirm what is actually shown.

Players interested in the full schedule can tune in on 25 August, with the event set to stream globally. The combination of confirmed RPG expansions, anticipated sequels, and the possibility of surprise announcements ensures that ONL 2026 will be closely watched by players and industry observers alike.

Downloadable content (DLC) and expansions like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past are additional content packages released after a game's initial launch. DLC can range from minor cosmetic items to substantial new storylines or gameplay systems. Expansions typically offer more significant content, sometimes rivaling the length or complexity of the base game. These releases can extend a game's lifespan, introduce new mechanics, or set up future sequels, but their quality and value often depend on the scope of the content and how it integrates with the original experience.