Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025: latest news, where to watch, and my predictions in the build-up to tonight's event
Everything you need to know as we build up to the next Geoff Keighley extravaganza
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 is just hours away, so you better start bracing yourself for a concentrated blast of gaming action.
The show kicks off the annual Gamescom trade fair, the world's largest interactive entertainment event. Held in Cologne, Germany, Gamescom offers developers the chance to showcase upcoming titles to both members of the public and the press.
The Opening Night Live show, hosted by presenter Geoff Keighley, has easily become the most significant showcase in the gaming calendar and is often jam-packed with exciting news and reveals.
From a potential Hollow Knight: Silksong release date to a fresh look at highly-anticipated previously revealed games such as Resident Evil Requiem and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, all eyes are going to be on this year's stream.
That's why I'll be guiding you through the event as it happens, delivering a steady stream of predictions and information in the build-up, followed by the latest news once it's underway.
When is Gamescom 2025?
Gamescom 2025 officially begins with the Opening Night Live show in the evening of August 19, 2025.
The trade fair, held at the Koelnmesse exhibition center in Cologne, will then open its doors the following day on August 20, though only for trade visitors, members of the media, creators, and other specific ticket holders.
The public will then be able to visit Gamescom from August 21 to August 24, after which the event officially wraps up.
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 schedule
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 is set to take place today on August 19, 2025 at 2PM ET / 11AM PDT / 7PM BST / 8PM CEST.
According to the official program, the show is expected to end two hours later, at 4PM ET / 1PM PDT / 9PM BST / 10PM CEST.
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 predictions
So far, we already know that Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 will feature a detailed look at Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Resident Evil Requiem, and the second season of the Fallout TV show.
But what else might happen? Here are some predictions from my personal bingo card.
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 stream
The Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 stream is currently in a waiting room state on YouTube as the event is still a few hours away. You can watch a brief teaser trailer and click a button to be notified when the broadcast begins.
The stream will also be available via the official Gamescom Twitch channel, if that's your preferred video platform.
I'm an experienced tech journalist who has been covering gaming events like Gamescom for years. I previously worked for the UK's Official PlayStation Magazine, and now cover all things gaming at TechRadar.
Queues are starting to form
Geoff Keighley has posted an update from the Opening Night Live 2025 venue, showing plenty of eager gamers waiting to get in to the show.
Fans have been lining up all day to get into @gamescom ONL tonight -- see you all soon!! pic.twitter.com/RCrwRXajDDAugust 19, 2025
Tickets are currently sold-out, so I'm expecting the hall to be absolutely packed tonight.
Just under three hours to go...
We're now just under three hours away from the start of the Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 show!
That's plenty of time to get anything done that you might want out of the way before the action begins. You're going to want to make sure that you have a clear schedule, as this year's show is shaping up to be massive.
Not feeling the hype? Check out this sizzle reel
You can catch a Gamescom Opening Night Live sizzle reel over on the official Game Awards YouTube channel, potentially giving us some insight into what's in store.
It features loads of titles, with some of the most significant being Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Ghost of Yotei, and Resident Evil Requiem. I also spotted some Silent Hill f in there, not to mention a clip from the Fallout TV show.
We've finally got some Hollow Knight: Silksong news!
This is not a drill - we finally have some official news about Hollow Knight: Silksong!
Developer Team Cherry will be hosting a 'Hollow Knight: Silksong - Special Announcement' in just under 48 hours time.
What will this 'special announcement' be? It's too early to say, but I think that it's almost certainly going to be a release date of some kind.
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier is claiming that there won't be a Silksong release date tonight, but I wouldn't be surprised if we still see a trailer.
We're going to learn all things Black Ops 7
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will be getting an expansive trailer as part of Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025. The follow-up to the successful Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, this next entry takes the series back to a futuristic setting for the first time in years.
It's set in 2035 and will feature a co-op campaign set right after the events of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. As usual, you can expect expect a wealth of multiplayer modes and a separate zombies mode too.
The game was first revealed back in the June Xbox Games Showcase, with a trippy cinematic trailer that showed off its dark tone and plenty of futuristic technology.
We also know that Black Ops 2 protagonist David Mason will be returning. Leaks also indicate that fan-favorite villain Raul Menendez will play an import role in the plot, which is set to take place across both Japan and Avalon - a fictional European city featured in Black Ops 6.
The game is set to release on November 14, 2025, so it's about time we learned more about it.
There will be a ZZZ car at Gamescom 2025
This is a bit of a weird one, but I have received confirmation that there will be at least one automobile present in the halls at Gamescom 2025.
It's a special version of the Aston Martin Vantage coupe, with custom artwork based on the Victoria Housekeeping Co. faction from Zenless Zone Zero.
It will be showed off at the game's booth in Hall 6, booth C-031, where visitors will be able to bask in all of its glory. Those going to the booth will also be able to complete check-in missions, and win prizes including a special 1:18 scale model of the Aston Martin car.
You can find full details on the competition via the X / Twitter post below.
Aston Martin × Zenless Zone Zero Collab: Gamescom Event AnnouncementDear Proxies, complete missions at the event site to receive exclusive collab merch! You'll also have a chance to win a limited edition 1:18 scale model car of the 2024 Aston Martin Vantage!#zzzero… pic.twitter.com/6JsKf8qBh7August 18, 2025
Last year Hoyoverse had a huge booth in the public area, and I expect Gamescom 2025 to be no different.
The brand's presence at the trade show also suggests that there will be some interesting announcements during the Opening Night Live show, potentially new seasonal content for games Zenless Zone Zero or Genshin Impact.
Our agents on the ground have arrived
I might be stuck behind a computer screen this year, but that doesn't mean that we don't have some agents on the ground right now.
My colleagues Rhys and Rob reached Cologne, Germany, this morning and are currently scouting things out and attending a few early appointments ahead of Opening Night Live.
They tell me it's quite quiet over there at the moment, as I'm sure you can imagine, but I'm expecting all of that to change as the show nears.
Expect a Lords of the Fallen 2 reveal
It looks like Lords of the Fallen 2 will be revealed later tonight, following a fairly transparent teaser posted by the official Lords of the Fallen X / Twitter account.
The image, which shows part of a character in gothic armor, features the word "tonight" with the letter "i" replaced by the Roman numeral for two.
The knightmare looms… pic.twitter.com/ZR1KNE9wa1August 19, 2025
I was a fan of the latest Lords of the Fallen game, which released back in 2023. In fact, I did a expansive cover feature with a multiple-page preview of the title back when I worked on the UK's PlayStation Magazine, so it's a series that's pretty close to my heart
Despite the name, Lords of the Fallen 2 would actually be the third Lords of the Fallen game. That's because of 2014's Lords of the Fallen, which is not to be confused with its 2023 successor.
Share your own thoughts or predictions
Have any burning Opening Night Live thoughts or predictions?
You can send them my way by posting to X / Twitter and tagging us @techradar! Alternatively, you can email me directly using the handy email button at the top of my author page.
Whether you have created your own bingo card, have a list of wild hopes and dreams, or just want to offer some comments on the whole Opening Night Show, I'll be sharing the very best contributions here on this page throughout the evening.
Just remember to keep it PG, or I'll get in big trouble with my boss and we don't want that, do we?
We're in for a live music performance
Geoff Keighley has confirmed that we will be in some music tonight.
It will be the first ever live performance of music from the popular RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from composers Alice Duport-Percier and Lorien Testard.
Exactly which songs will be performed is currently up in the air, but lovers of the game definitely won't want to miss this...
Is Hollow Knight: Silksong news on the cards?
Hollow Knight: Silksong is easily one of the most anticipated games right now. A sequel to the 2017 indie hit, fans have been waiting for more news about this upcoming instalment for more than six years.
Could we hear more about it tonight? It's definitely likely, as presenter Geoff Keighley has been teasing something Silksong related.
Yesterday, he posted a photo of himself wearing a clown nose to his X / Twitter account, captioned "First time? See you tomorrow for Gamescom ONL." It might not seem like much, but it's a reference popular meme featuring the protagonist of Hollow Knight wearing a similar clown costume.
First time? 🤡 See you tomorrow for @gamescom ONL. pic.twitter.com/59ef5sFysJAugust 18, 2025
He actually posted the original meme last year, alongside clarification that there would be "no Silksong", so this seems like an intentional call-back.
Hopefully we're in for some kind of exciting update regarding the game tonight.
ICYMI: the latest Nintendo Direct is underway
It's not technically part of Gamescom, but the timing of this latest Nintendo Direct is definitely deliberate and likely an attempt by Nintendo to squeeze in their own short presentation before attention shifts to the big Opening Night Live show.
The Direct is focused on the upcoming racing game Kirby Air Riders, and is our first real look at the title since its announcement back the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct earlier this year.
The broadcast is currently live right now, so you can tune in if you're interested in learning all about it.
Good afternoon gamers!
This is the very start of my Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 coverage. If you're just tuning in, then don't worry - you haven't missed anything yet!
With the show set to take this evening, I'll be walking you through the build up, sharing the latest news as it happens, and a few of my own personal predictions then bringing you a steady stream of announcements once the broadcast begins.