The summer of gaming news is fading into the fall of new releases, and Gamescom Opening Night Live has aired to herald the end. Today, we got a whole lot of news, trailers, reveals, and more t??o set the stage ahead for 2024, 2025, and beyond.

The Game Awards showrunner Geo??ff Keighley took the stage again, accompanied by long-time esports host Eefje "sjokz" Depoortere, to run the festivities as dozens of news and announcements aired. Some were essentially just trailers for games that are already out, or coming out soon, so we won't cover those here.

But even the Kyle Bosman-led pre-show had some fun tidbits, from Dave the Diver getting crossovers with Balatro, Potion Craft, and mxmtoon to some more Terry footage from Street Fighter 6 and a look at the next Dark Pictures horror adventure Directive 8020.

Here's all the big news and announcements from the main show at Gamescom Opening ??Night Live 2024.

Everything shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024

• We open with a bang. Borderlands 4 is very real, and arriving sometime in 2025. There's not too much we can scrounge from this trailer, except for some SHIFT codes probably, but that's something for fans of the series to look forward to after a rough showing on the silver screen.
• Activision showed off some Call of Duty Black Ops 6 campaign footage, which starts out a bit surprisingly, with alternative routes and not a lot of shooting. Don't worry; once the big plan goes bad, the bullets start flying, and it starts looking familiar. Early access kicks off on August 30 for that, with an open beta due soon after.
• In one of the stranger trailers of the show, a bunch of game parodies lead into the reveal of Goat Simulator Remastered, arriving sometime in 2024. Looks like a good time to be a baaaaa-d goat? (Don't boo me, I'm trying.)

• Persona 3's Episode Aigis DLC is arriving soon, bringing The Answer to Atlus' remake. And now it looks like some challenge battles are in tow too, alongside an appearance from Persona 5's Joker. That's out on September 10.
• Dying Light: The Beast was going to be Dying Light 2 DLC, until Techland apparently spun it out into its own standalone game, starring DL1's Kyle Crane. It's neat to see the series still chugging along. No date for this, but owners of the big content pass for Dying Light 2 won't have to shell out for it.
• Lynked: Banner of the Spark is a mixture of town-building and roguelite elements, and it sure is colorful too. You can read more in our writeup here, and keep an eye out for the Early Access launch on October 22, 2024.
• Love creepy mysteries, teen angst, and a little bit of '90s nostalgia? Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, the latest from Don't Nod, looks to have it all. Read more in our hands-on preview here, as it's quickly becoming one of my more anticipated games going into 2025.

• The zombie-slaying No More Room in Hell 2 is certainly on its way, with some co-op permadeath action in store. But frankly, I just can't get over how the guy in this trailer sounds like Plankton from SpongeBob. Once you hear it, you won't be able to un-hear it.
• Arc Raiders is a game that surprised me a while ago, mostly because it seemed to involve giant, bouncing, destructive orbs. There may be more happening, but today's trailer mostly teased that sign-ups are live now.
• Around the Destructoid water cooler, Infinity Nikki has come up more than a few times. If you're not familiar with the Nikki series, you might not know how popular this series can be, but today's trailer certainly makes a case for its adorable open-world adventures. Closed beta sign-ups are also going live for Infinity Nikki.
• Paragon successor Predecessor (say that five times fast) is officially launching, and it celebrated as much during today?'s Opening Night ?Live stream. Hopefully the path ahead goes better for them than it did for Paragon.

• Dungeon-crawling action-RPG Path of Exile 2 hits Early Access on November 15, so get those loot bags ready and build-crafting spreadsheets open. At least, that's what I imagine ARPG sickos go in for, anyways.
• We got a look at some Dune Awakening gameplay, which lets you live out your dream of being a random wanderer on the planet of Arrakis. Worms, sun stroke, and enemies are all there to kill you, but maybe you can learn to survive and even thrive? Or get griefed by a dude named "Chimothée Talamet." That's set for PC in early 2025.
• Tarsier Studios, creators of Little Nightmares 1 and 2, unveiled their new project today: the very Little Nightmares-esque Reanimal, which is all about being little fellas running from giant creepy animals. It looks hauntingly gorgeous, and will head to PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC.

• Have you been wanting to play Genshin Impact, but only own an Xbox? Well, today, that specific crowd gets their prayers answered. Hoyoverse's massive action-RPG is coming to Microsoft's box on November 20. Also, there's a new region on the way!
• Monster Hunter Wilds showed off some monster hunting today, focusing on an especially creepy fight with a giant spider boss. I cannot wait to see what kind of armor and equipment we'll craft from this thing. Wilds is looking fantastic, and like an easy contender for one of 2025's biggest early hits.

• Lara Croft is coming to Naraka Bladepoint. That's all I really have to say on the matter. Congratulations to Naraka Bladepoint.
• In a great throwback trailer, SNK confirms one of its most recognizable fighters Mai Shiranui will appear in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, due out on April 24 ,2025.
• Monument Valley 3 looks absolutely pleasant to puzzle through, and it's coming to Netflix very soon - on December 10, 2024. Sadly, it's a Netflix exclusive. But if you check out the app, the other two Monument Valley games are also making their way there, too.
• Civilization 7 seems poised to take one more turn from you, over and over again. Firaxis has locked in a release date of February 11, 2025, and it's hard to imagine any PC owner not excited for this one.
• Holy crap, Starfield is finally getting a freaking car. The REV-8 is your very own Mass Effect Mako, carting you and your companion around the vast, open terrains of planets, and it's out today. Plus, the Shattered Space DLC is set to arrive on September 30, 2024.

• Marvel Rivals seems well-poised to make a dent in the packed hero shooter genre, and its latest trailer reaffirms it. Captain America and the Winter Soldier are both due up for the Rivals roster, with Bucky looking like a fast, mobile assassin and Cap bringing some potent shielding power to teams. NetEase's answer to Overwatch arrives on December 6, and promises to have all heroes unlocked and free-to-play, at launch and beyond.
• A sizzle reel for Amazon's anthology adaptation series Secret Level plans to bring many different franchises to the streaming side, and- wait, is that Mega Man?! You know what, I'd get a little emotional too if I was bringing the Blue Bomber back. The show premieres on December 10.
• Stoic's Towerborne, a side-scrolling action game that gives me faint Castle Crashers vibes, is set to hit Steam Early Access on September 10. Looks neat!
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 seems sharp, surprising, and definitely taking its period piece framing seriously. I love all the roaming around the countryside, though I'm maybe a little less keen on first-person swordplay. We'll have to see how it pans out when the sequel arrives on February 11, 2025. A gameplay premiere is set for August 21, 2024.

• Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai Star Rail both have new characters and content on the way. I'm not caught up enough on either to know the specifics, but the final teaser for Star Rail says a Fate/Stay Night crossover is due for Q3 2025, and that I cannot wait for. I hope it somehow leads to Geoff Keighley talking about Saber and Shirou Emiya on the Game Awards stage.
• "Da bat" is here, with the Meta Quest-exclusive Batman: Arkham Shadow, arriving in October. I wish it looked a bit weightier, but some of the character models and story scenes look pretty cool.
• Oh hey, it's Little Nightmares 3. It 's got that two-player horror adventure set-up that will look familiar to fans of the first two. Supermassive is heading this one up, as Tarsier works on Reanimal, so I'm curious to see how both turn out and where this burgeoning genre of "Nightmare-alikes" goes from here.
• Herdlings looks like a pleasant game from the makers of FAR: Lone Sails, tasking you with herding mystical animals. Seems neat!
• Good lord, that's Peter Molyneux. He's on the stage, talking about Masters of Albion, a new game that he frames as a homecoming to PC and console development. I'm assuming there won't be any cubes in this one. In fact, it seems like a god game in a style we haven't seen in a while. We'll see how it turns out?
• Meanwhile, the latest Squid Game spin-off to completely miss the point has arrived. Squid Game: Unleashed looks like a comical, Fall Guys-esque interpretation of the death-game bloodsport shown in Netflix's series. I'm normally down for a little bit of dark comedy in adaptations, but when you start doing the Terminator thumbs-up from a lava pit, you've entered brand-trying-to-meme territory. If none of that backs you away, it's out soon on the Netflix app.
• Blizzard's Johanna Faries takes the stage to show off a Sylvanas skin for Widowmaker and promote the upcoming launch of World of Warcraft: The War Within, as well as the upcoming Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred. The latter showed off some mercenary companions, which seems neat. WoW's next expansion hits on August 22 in early access, and Vessel of Hatred is due out on October 8.

• You know, The First Berserker: Khazan is looking kinda sick? It's set for an early 2025 debut, and I dig the action and raw fury we're seeing here. It's very, well, Berserk, even though it's drawing from the Dungeon & Fighter universe. It's on my radar now, though.
• Floatopia is a new chill life sim from NetEase, and looks like an Animal Crossing competitor. Not much in the way of news, but keep an eye out for that one.
• We get a confirmed date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, hitting Xbox Series consoles and PC on December 9, 2024. Plus, we got immediate confirmation that Indy will head to PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025. Interesting to see, considering Xbox's move to put more games on other consoles.

• One last thing: It's Mafia. Yes, a new Mafia is on the way, in the form of Mafia: The Old Country. Hangar 13 is taking it all back to the roots, in a very Godfather Part 2 trailer. Not much more in the way of news here, but you know what? I'm very, very intrigued.

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The “one last thing�at Gamescom Opening Night Live was a reveal for a new game in the Mafia series: Mafia: The Old Country.

Unfortunately, it didn’t tell us much aside from the fact that the game is going set in the early 1900s in Sicil?y. It’s going to give a look at the birth of the Mafia, so I suppose it could be considered a prequel to the entire se??ries.

Aside from that, there was no gameplay shown. However, I got a press release afterward that says that it will involve “action brought to life by the authentic realism and rich storytelling that the critically acclaimed Mafia series is known for. It promises a “deep, linear narrative with that classic mob movie feeling.�/p>

Honestly, I love Mafia. I got deeply into the first game back in 2002. I enjoyed the second game. I haven’t played the third, but I should since my expectations are set appropriately low. Then Mafia: Definitive Edition is maybe not quite as definitive as the name sounds, but it was a cool revisit to the first game. On a planet where every big budget game seems to be an open-world affair crammed full of side distractions, the more linear narrative of the (first two) Mafia games, where the open world? is mor?e of a backdrop, sounds very refreshing.

I'm weirdly hyped over a nothing trailer.

We’re promised that we’ll hear more about Mafia: The Old Country in December 2024. It will be coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X?|S.

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Starfield made its grand return during Gam?escom Opening Night Live 2024, with new information about its Shattered Space expansion and a surprising free car update arriving today. While Shattered Space isn't quite here yet, you won't have to wait long for its release, as it's coming out at the end of September this year.

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 revealed that Starfield will receive a free content update tonight that introduces the REV-8 space vehicle, allowing you to drive around the universe in style. It's completely separate from the expansion, so anyone who owns Starfield will get access to it. The REV-8 also features flying capabilities, a mounted turret, and armor to make combat easier. Yo??u can even drive around with companions to make space travel a little less lonely.

Bethesda also revealed during Gamescom that the Shattered Space expansion will launch on September 30, 2024. While it was known that it'd be released sometime in Fall 2024, this is the first time the exact launch date was revealed. Considering Starfield was released in September 2023, Shattered Space launching shortly after the game's one-year anniversary sounds fitting. Anyone who purchased Starfield's Premium or Constellation Edi?tions will have access to the expansion, with premium upgrades available for anyone w??ho wants to experience it.

As of now, details on other future Starfield expansions and free content updates are unknown. While we kn??ow more expansions are coming beyond Shattered Space, information about their content, prices, and release dates remains to be discovered.

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Since its initial release date nearly four years ago, Genshin Impact has developed ?a massive following on PC, mobile, and PlayStation, with no signs of slowing down. If you know about this famous gacha game but never got the chance to play it, you'll now have another opportunity to with its release on Xbox consoles on November 20. For those on other platforms, you'll get to dive into the new region of Natl??an soon, too.

During the Gamescom Opening Night Live stream on August 20, MiHoYo revealed that Genshin Impact will launch on Xbox series X/S and ??Xbox One on November 20, 2024. You'll have three months to decide whether to swap platforms or try it for the first time.

Even sooner than that, Genshin Impact's sixth nation, Natlan, will become available on August 28, giving everyone on PlayStation, PC, and mobile a chance to dive deep into a new region in just over one week. Like previous region updates, it'll come with its own set of resources, bosses, and quests to complete. During the trailer, we also get a chance to meet Mualani, Kachina, and Kinich, who'll all ?be future?? playable characters during and after the update.

Xbox players won't quite have a chance to access this ?new area on launch, but at least it'll be available for the November releas?e.

Genshin Impact's Natlan region will be available on August 28, 2024, and the game will launch on November 20?? for Xbox One and X??box Series X/S.

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During today's Gamescom Opening Night Live, developer Firaxis Games and publisher 2K Games revealed the release date for the upcoming grand strategy title Sid Meier's Civilization VII as February 11, 2025. That means that it will be just over eight years between Civilization 6 and the upcoming entry into the series, Civilization 7.

Visually, Civilization 7 certainl??y looks improved while still keeping its classic semi-cartoony aesthetic. The city development weaved around the terrain looks better than ever, as do the various units and comb?at seen in the trailer.

The Standard Edition will cost $69.99 while a Deluxe Edition is available for $99.99 that grants five days of Early Access to Civilization 7, allo??wi??ng players to get into the game on February 6. The Switch version for each edition will run $10 cheaper.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII will be released on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on F?ebruary 11, 2025.

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As part of Gamescom Opening Night Live, Grinding Gear Games has announced that the long-awaited Path of Exile 2 will finally? be hitting Early Access on November 15.

It’s been quite some time since the original Path of Exile launched in 2013, and likewise has been some time since the sequel was announced in 2019. Since then, a lot of changes have been made, including dropping the concurrent campaign that would combine in the original game. It include?s a six-act campaign that leads to its endgame.

The beta was initially supposed to launch in June, but was delayed in March as the developer made additional changes to it. It w??i?ll feature cross-play and cross-progression across platforms. Also, like the first game, it will be free-to-play with microtransactions.

Path of Exile 2’s Early Access starts N??ove?mber 15, 2024. It will launch on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.

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Infold Games opened up registration for Infinity Nikki’s closed beta on mobile platforms today, and as part of the Opening Night Live stream at Gamescom, a new? trailer has been shown off depicting... stuf?f.

What a weird trailer. It opens up with some sort of stuffed animal burlesque show before cutting to a bunch of disjointed scenes like riding on a train full of chicks (as in baby chickens). No wait, they're, like, haunted bags. It tells very little about the gameplay, but we at least already have a lot of information already.

Infinity Nikki is something of a follow-up to Love Nikki: Dress Up Queen and Shining Nikki, both of which were fashion games. This one, on the ot??her hand, is a “cozy open-world RPG.�There’s still an element of fashion with a metric tonne of hairstyles and outfits, but now you get to wear them out into a fantasy world in order to catch bugs and fish, which are things you wouldn’t really want to do in suc?h nice attire. There’s also combat, if you can believe it.

Earlier today, Infold Games opened registration to the closed beta for Android and iOS. PS5 and PC versions are on the ?way but don’t seem to be included in the closed beta. The date for the actual release has not been stated.

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As part of Gamescom’s Opening Night Live, Fuzzybot has announced their debut game, Lynked: Banner of the Spark, a roguelite with elements of�everything. It’s enterin?g Early Access on October 22, 2024?.

When I say “everything,�I mean Lynked: Banner of the Spark introduces itself as an “arcade-inspired co-op roguelite�with town-building progression. I mean, sure, that makes sense. Town-building is a decent metagame between roguelite runs. That’s essentially what Cult of the Lamb is. However, Lynked is looking to lean more in a cozy direction, but really, I think Cult of the Lamb is plenty cozy.

Lynked has enough to separate it from Cult of the Lamb. For one thing, Lynked: Banner of the Spark seem??s to have your character fisting a robot that turns into a Mega Man’s buster. The combat is a bit hard to grasp in motion, but there’s a l?ot of grappling shown off and numbers popping out of enemies.

Beyond just town-building, there’s interior decoration. I have to wonder to what end, but the trailer demonstrates fishing at the end, so maybe this is more like Animal Crossing but with more robot battles.

The aesthetic seems to cop a late-�0s, early-�0s approach to the future. There’s a lot of neon colors and? a hoverboard thrown in for good measure. You can also play with friends if you have any.

Lynked: Banner of the Spark will hit Steam Early Access on October 22, 2024.

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Gamescom 2024 is kicking off in Cologne, Germany on August 20, and Geoff ?Keighley will be starting the convention with Opening Night Live. There’s sure to be a lot of surprise reveals, but we do know ?a little something about what to expect. 

Gamescom Opening Night Live will be streaming on both YouTube and Twitch, with what promises to be an epic ??show beginning at the following times, depending on your location:

• 11 a.m. PST
• 2 p.m. EST
• 7 p.m. BST

A pre-show, hosted by Kyle Bo??sman, will begin 30 minutes before Opening Night Live. T?his pre-show will feature additional announcements and trailers, so make sure to sit down and get comfortable for what’s to come!

And what is to come? Well, over on Twitter, Keighley has been pre-revealing some of what’s to come at Opening Night Live, with content from t??he following games and developers featuring in the show:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (First campaign playthrough)
• Dune: Awakening (Extended look at gameplay)
• Dark and Darker: Mobile (Gameplay world premier)
• The First Berserker: Khazan (New trailer)
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (New trailer)
• inZOI (New trailer)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Gameplay trailer)
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Gameplay trailer)
• Monster Hunter Wilds (New trailer) 
• Marvel Rivals (New heroes and updates)
• Panic & Okomotive (New intellectual property reveal)
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (New Trailer)
• Squid Game: Unleashed (First look)

NetEase Games, which is set to have two unannounced titles set up for visitors to play at i??ts booth at Gamescom, will also feature in Opening Night Live alongside a spooky new title from THQ Nordic and Tarsier Studios. A teaser trailer for the latter unnamed game is already available, and intriguing to say the least:

Perhaps the most exciting reveal at the event, at least to me, is a new trailer for Little Nightmares III. The upcoming sequel will feature online co-op gameplay, allowing you to ‘face your childhood fears together� The third game in the Little Nightmares franchise was announced at Gamescom 2023, and the development team made the decision back in May 2024 to delay release until 2025, so?? I’m excited to see what the new trailer will reveal.

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Gamescom 2023 will be kicking off today, and Geoff Keighley is the host. He recently hopped on Twitter to reveal that Zack Snyder will be promoting the upcoming epic space opera, Rebel Moon. The Snyder-?directed film will be available on December 22, though that’s not the only thing he’ll be promoting, as Keighley also stated that the director has a “special announcement�in store.

//twitter.com/geoffkeighley/??status/1693659685428117822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

What Snyder could be planning to announce here is anyone's guess. For instance, he has mentioned that Rebel Moon will be receiving a video game adaptation. Not many details have been revealed, though Snyder has excitedly stated that it is an RPG that is “literally insane and so immersive and so intense and so huge.�It wouldn’t be a surprise to discover that his announcement involves the upcoming Rebel Moon game.

[caption id="attachment_397886" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Gamescom.[/caption]

Gamescom 2023 is finally upon us

Gamescom begins with Opening Night Live today at 11 AM PDT. You can watch it on YouTube and Twitter, and if you ?tune in half an hour earlier, you??’ll catch the pre-show. A few games have already been confirmed to make an appearance, including:

• Alan Wake 2
• Assassin’s Creed Mirage
• Lords of the Fallen
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Sonic Superstars

The trade fair will run until August 27. Planned events include Awesome Indies?? which, as you might guess, will showcase the latest and upcoming indie games. You can also expect the Future Games Show on August 23, and Level Infinite’s Into the Infinite event on the same day.

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The big reveals show returns once more

It's a??nother year, and summer's alm?ost upon us. That means it's time for more showcases, reveals, and streams, including Gamescom Opening Night Live.

Show host Geoff Keighley confirmed the date and location today on social media, as the show will be hosted liv?e from Koelnmesse ??in Cologne, Germany on August 22. No word on the time yet.

//twi??tter.com/geoffkeig??hley/status/1643971101280681985

As for what to expect, well, it'll be a whole host of video game news. Gamescom Opening Night Live is usually the?? last big show of the summer of gaming news, sitting right near the end of August and leading right into the Gamescom event.

What this means is a lot of reveals, trailers, and spotlights on upcoming games. For example, last year is where we saw Dead Island 2 get a release date (that would eventually get delayed), a leaked Sonic Frontiers date got confirmed, and Hid?eo Kojima announced his po?dcast.

After the streams of summer have gone

The summer is going to look quite different this year, though. E3 has officially bowed out of the conversation, with the ESA and PAX organizer ReedPop calling off their plans for in-person and digital. Though we've been without a proper in-person E3 for a few years now, this news feels a bit like a n??ail in the coffin.

Meanwhile, Keighley's Summer Game Fest is still cruising along. The SGF show will air live on June 8, with a live audience. Xbox and Ubisoft are also planning their own shows for the summer, too. Even without E3 in the mix, the su??mmer seems set to roll on.

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11.5 million rolled their eyes at Everywhere

Last week saw the return of Europe's largest gaming industry event, Gamescom, which arrived in both a physical and online capacity for the first time in several years. And, according to live stream host Geoff Keighley, it was quite the popular event, with over 12 million viewers tuning in to day one stream Opening Night Live.

The stream, which took place on the evening of August 23, featured a selection of trailers, updates, and reveals on some of the hottest games headed our way in the coming year (or two). Titles such as the mysterious Soulslike Lies of P, the goofy Goat Simulator 3, brutal sci-fi horror The Callisto Protocol, and the long-in-development Dead Island 2 all found time in the spotlight, with the two most watched trailers of the entire stream being the previews for Sonic Frontiers and an update for Genshin Impact.

//twitter.com/geoffkeighley/status/1563947341337485322?s=20&t=6NCQfoav20yFFrvFLVZC?-w

In ad?dition to the success of the ONL stream, Geoff notes that around 265,000 visitors from over 100 countrie??s made the journey to the Koelnmesse complex in Germany to be part of the live show. Attendees had the opportunity to chat with developers and publishers, play demos, and catch up with some of their long, lost industry pals. It seems, on the whole, that Gamescom 2022 was a success, providing Europe's leading live event brand with some much-needed positive press.

The next major gaming event will be Tokyo Game Show, which will take place September 15-18 in Chiba, Japan. Of course, just like with Summer Gam?e Fest and Gamescom, we will be sure to report al?l of the hottest news and reveals from the event right here on Destructoid.

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Destination Nowhere

This week, the Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation opened in a confusing fashion, debuting the brand new... platform(?) Everywhere. An abstract, muddled trailer was followed by a frustratingly obscure conversation with developer Build a Rocket Boy, which left viewers oblivious as to what the ambitious title actually is.

However, given its clear status as "more than just a video game," it didn't take long for critics to speculate that the Everywhere platform might be tightly embedded with controversial NFT and/or blockchain technology. This speculation was further founded when it was revealed that numerous blockchain-based roles �including a coder, test engineer, and con??????????????????????????tract developer �had previously been advertised on the developer's website bac??k in June (the vacancies have since been removed).

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lKCf9yLGgQ

Perhaps realizing that not even remotely explaining what your product is whatsoever can lead to confusion, Build a Rocket Boy took to its official Reddit in an effort to clarify the situation.

"We're seeing some conversation on NFTs/Cryptos that are prompted by some of our open positions on our website," wrote the developer. "These are research positions, as we?? do not like dismissing new technologies only because others haven’t found a solution for them yet."

"We are building Everywhere on Unreal Engine 5, not the blockchain. We are c?reating a new world for players, where we come together to play, watch, create, share, and so much more. We hope this helps clarify?? some of the speculations around this topic."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDM0Om26R8k

Of course, it should be noted that "being built on Unreal Engine 5" does not in any way preclude Everywhere from being an NFT or blockchain-friendly product, and until Build a Rocket Boy openly explains exactly what Everywhere is, its overall intention, and its direct relationship with other forms of hardware and software, then flowery soundbites are going to do little to assuage the r??umors, speculation, and/or concerns surrounding the project, whether founded or otherwise.

Such is the risk taken when you want to play the "mystery pro?ject" card.

On a personal (and admittedly somewhat harsh) note, I feel I already know, just from what was said and shown at Gamescom, that Everywhere is absolutely nothing that interests me whatsoever in regard to the medium of video gaming. Frankly, I found the Gamescom reveal and Everywhere's "We can't even describe what it is" mannerism obnoxious. I'm not looking for a new social platform, I'm not looking for a "whole new w?orld for gamers." And I'm certainly not looking for anything connected to the blockchain.

I just want excitement and satisfaction... I mean, I can get that from Streets of Rage 4

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A fantasy open-world action game with some sleek combat

If you dig open-world action with a fantasy flair, Where Winds Meet might be one to watch. Developer Everstone Games unveiled its new action game Where Winds Meet today, and it's got some style.

Details are scarce so far about it, though we did get some look at the gameplay of Where Winds Meet today during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022. It's a third-person actio??n game, with some gorgeous views and big ??open areas.

At first glance, it gives off the third-person action vibes of a modern Assassin's Creed or Ghost of Tsushima. There are bows, swords, counters an?d follow-ups.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcHVTPbJVrM

Where Winds Meet is definitely taking a heavy dose of wuxia inspiration though. The way the protagonist leaps around in the air, or runs up the si??de of a ship, is pretty sick.

According to IGN, Where Winds Meet is set during the Ten Kingdoms era. Different factions are vying for power, which seems like good fodde??r for tough choices and als?o plenty of battles.

More than just a warrior

Developer E??verstone Games also told IGN that the player can opt to take sides in the war, or choose to pursue other goals. You can look to be a doctor, merchant, or even just a wandering swordsman.

Di?fferent fighting styles will also be incorporated, to ??add a little variety to fights.

We only got a small bite today, but I'm impressed by what I've seen so far of Where Winds Meet. A little more fantasy action in the third-person open-world action g?enre could be pretty interesting. No firm date or window has been set yet, but I'm looking forward to hopef?ully seeing more from this project and team in the future.

Catch up on the rest of the Gamescom Opening Night Live announcements in our catch-all thread here.

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A lot of it was revealed already

As Geoff continues to add more shows and reveal events under his belt, things are starting to look a little thinner. Although Gamescom Opening Night Live has the potential to give off the air of "the E3 of Europe," today was largely reserved for games that were already shown off in some capacity; or came back with a marketing reboot after years-ear?lier reveals. It's time for a Gamescom 2022 recap.

There was some cool stuff in there. The studio behind Moonbreaker smartly united with kinda-huge-deal author Brandon Sanderson to bring us a "Hearthstone meets XCOM" game; with a vibrant art style and a customizable mini painting element. No one expected a Killer Klowns from Outer Space adaptation �talk about a passion project! As far as big studio news goes, Sonic Frontiers got a release date from Sega, and another PlayStation 5 controller is on the way from Sony. The "one last thing" was Dead Island 2, which is out in February of 2023 and still looks like a Dead Island game.

There was some cool stuff there for Gamescom Opening Night Live to latch onto. Two hours worth of cool stuff? Well, rarely does any event justify two hours after E3 starte?d to wane. If you miss?ed it, you can pick out the stuff you're interested in below.

Here's a Gamescom 2022 recap:

• Gamescom opens up with a look at Everywhere
• The PlaySta??tion 5 Du??alSense Edge controller is on the way
• Dune: Awakening is a survival MMO set on Arrakis
• New Tales from the Borderlands is only a? few months away, here’s our first look
• Moving Out 2 announced, releasing next year
• The Lords of the Fallen, a reboot of Lords ??of the Fallen, is in d??evelopment
• Sega may have leaked a November 8 rel??ease date for Sonic Frontiers (Update)
• We got a real look at the Dying Light 2: B?loody Ties DLC at Gamescom
• We will finally Return to Monkey?? Island on September 19
• Narrative adventure game Under the Waves is a “love letter to oceansâ€?/a>
• Here’s another look at Lies of P, the intriguing Pinoc?chio-inspired ??project
• Moonbreaker is Unknown W?orldsâ€?new turn-based sci-fi strategy game
• Friends vs. Friends is a colorful card-b??ased shooter
• Take ?on Gods and Monsters in Atlas Fallen, coming 2023
• Strande?d: ??Alien Dawn is a marooned sim game from the Surviving Mars team
• Get ready for a Killer Klowns multiplayer horror ??game
• Scars Above cou??ld be a cool new sci-fi ac?tion adventure romp
• Harley Quinn, ??Clayface, and M??r. Freeze are set to rock the Gotham Knights
• Telltale’s The Expanse looks to?? take off in summe?r 2023
• Phantom Hellcat?? is a NieR-inspired action game involving a cursed theater
• Former Bethesda devs tease open-world RPG Wyrd?song
• Blackt?ail asks if you want to be a g??ood or bad witch
• Where Winds Mee??t revealed with some gorgeou?s-looking action
• Hideo Kojima announces podcast exc?lusively?? for Spotify
• T??he Outlast Trials will have a closed beta over Halloween
• Do you have ?what it takes to make it to The Finals?
• Dead Island 2 re-??emerges and sets a launch date for February 2023

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The Killing Game Show

As part of the Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation, publisher Nexon and developer Embark showed a blink-and-you'll-miss-it trailer for their upcoming game show shooter, The Finals.

The trailer offers very little in the way of context, but seemingly The Finals will focus on an ultra-violent "game" of survival, with players competing in a do-or-die competition to win big bucks and other prizes. Previously released footage featured rat-a-tat gunplay and bombastic explosive-based combat, ??with some vehicular mayhem and roof-jumping verticality thrown into the mix.

//youtu.be/Gq-R9GjW-Ik

The concept would suggest we might be looking at a battle royale affair, perhaps with highly customizable player characters, but we'll have to wait a little longer for Embark Studios to play its hand and offer us a little more info on The Finals and its Smash T.V.-style landscape of killing for kash.

Emba??rk Studios also talked up the game's sense of destruction.

"A skilled contender might go in guns blazing, but with environmental destruction in your arsenal, that’s just the start of what you can wi??eld against your foes! All of our arenas can be altered, use??d, or reduced to rubble �and not just by you."

The Finals is currently in development for PC. Steam playtests are scheduled to begin "soon." Interested players can request access to join on Steam.

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Now you're playing with power

During today's Gamescom O??????????????????????????pening Night Live presentation, Sony revealed that it was w??orking on a customizable version of its DualSense controller for the PS5 platform, the DualSense Edge.

Much like previous "Pro" controllers, the DualSense Edge will feature interchangeable components such as thumbsticks and Haptic Feedback triggers, as well as other internal c??omponents in order to offer PS5 players their own desired levels of comfort and precision when playing their chosen games.

Rumors of an "Elite" or "Pro" e??dition of the DualSense controller have been floating around the i??nternet in recent weeks, so it's good to finally receive the official reveal. A date and price were not announced.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzAS_g9OuWs

On the PlayStation Blog, Sony shed more light on the DualSense Edge, including adjust??able trigger travel distance and dead zones, swappable stick caps and back buttons, replaceable stick modules (s?old separately), and a new Fn button for changing between pre-set control profiles. The DualSense Edge comes with a USB Type-C braided cable, and the controller can be charged while it's being stored in its carrying case.

Art director Daisuke Kurihara th??anked the "many gamers, professional esports players, and developers w?ho helped provide feedback on the controller's design."

Sony said more information will be shared "in the months a?head."

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Just caught in the churn

Gamescom Opening Night Live is less than a week away, which means we're steadily seeing which games are pre-announcing their show appearance. Today, showrunner Geoff Keighley and Telltale Games confirm that the latter's The Expanse series will ??show off a first look at gameplay ??during the showcase.

The Opening Night Live stream is airing on Twitch and YouTube, on August 23 at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. The show's expected to run for two hours, with over 30 games on stage to show.

//twitter.com/telltalegames/st??atus/15?59933630104752128

The new Telltale series is from the reformed Telltale Games, which was bought and revived after the first Telltale Games had to shut its doors. This new Telltale, under LCG Entertainment, is the one working on The Expanse: A Telltale Series alongside fellow narrative game studio Deck Nine and Alco??n I??nteractive Group.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=13h1mxJUZjc

No risk, no reward

I am pretty curious to see what this combination has in store for The Expanse. While the new Telltale is fairly fresh, Deck Nine proved its mettle with Life is Strange: True Colors, a really phenomenal entry in the series.

The story will follow Camina Drummer, who Expanse fans will remember as the all-around-badass Belter from the series. It takes place prior to the events of the series, following Drummer's search for a mysterious tr??easu?re on the fringes of the Belt.

While IP adaptations were Telltale's go-to during its original run, The Expanse is a new franchise for the company. It's also one that could, in my opinion, really benefit from a narrative-focused approach. The tensions and politics of the Solar System playing out in verbal standoffs through Telltale's sy??stems could be a good time, if done well. We'll le??arn more at Gamescom Opening Night Live.

Telltale is also working on The Wolf Among Us 2, which we got a look at earlier this year. That's set for sometime in 2023.

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No appearance planned for summer show's return

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that the PlayStation brand will not be in attendance at this summ??er's Gamescom 2022 event, nor will it be featured as part of the Opening Night Live stream.

Speaking in an interview with German publication Games Wirtschaft, a PlayStation spokesperson confirmed that the PS5 and its respective wares would not be putting in an appearance at this year's event, which takes place in Cologne, Germany in late August, PlayStation joins several other major brands including Blizzard Entertainment, Nintendo, and Take-Two who will be staying home this summer. It is likely that PlayStation is happy with the news and updates offered on its upcoming titles during the recent Sony State of Play and Summer G?ame Fest presentations.

This year sees Gamescom return in a physical capacity for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic forced restrictions on global travel and social gatherings. Gamescom 2022 has been described as a "hybrid" event by organizers, and will feature a host of online streams and activities in addition to its live show �which is once again being held in Cologne's Koelnmesse center. Gamescom, as always, will kick off with a special Opening Night Live stream, hosted by Geoff Keighley.

Gamescom 2022 will take place from August 24-28. You can check out more info and details pertaining to the event and its respective activities over on the official Gamescom website. We will, of course, be bringing you all of the top headlines over the cours?e of the week right here? on Destructoid.

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A whole boatload of games

The virtual Gamescom is underway, as today Geoff Keighley hosted its Opening Night Live showcase for 2021. It was a pretty packed show that had its own half-hour pre-show, featu??ring a slate of ?upcoming games.

There was?? a lot to see and unpack. This isn't an exhaustive list of everything that was announced today, but a rundown of some of the big? topics, surprising reveals, and wacky moments that filled over two hours of showcase.

The big news was a lot of release dates and windows for some major games. Halo Infinite's campaign and multiplayer was confirmed to be launching on Dec. 8, following a store leak and report saying as much. Horizon Forbidden West has been officially pushed back to February 18, 2022. And Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga locked in a spring 2022 window, alongside a charming trailer that took us thr??ough the nine film??s.

As for new, never-before-seen games? The long-rumored Marvel-meets-tactics game from Firaxis premiered as Marvel's Midnight Suns. It's coming in March 20?22, stars a custom commander of your? own design, and most importantly, has a kickass Ghost Rider.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgjzDJA1o1E

The new Saints Row also showed off both a cinematic trailer and some gameplay. It seems like a tonal reset for the series, taking things down from Saints Row IV to more in the area of Saints Row 2. You can check out some early impressions of it, alongside some extra details, in our preview here.

A new Outlast game, dubbed Outlast Trials, also showed off some gameplay in a new trailer and seemed like a pretty scary time. Something a little less terrifying to ease your mind: some Jungle Book skins are coming to Fall Guys! I did not see this coming whatsoever, but I'm kind of a fan of the big ol' Baloo suit. And if you've been playing Splitgate, the Halo-meets-Portal mash-up FPS, a new season launched today with a new map, battle pass, and game mode.

A few other games locked in release dates too, including martial arts action-brawler Sifu, set for Feb. 22, 2022, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge also got set for 2022 alongside a gameplay reveal of April O'Neil.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uxtyHnMEY

As for the near-future, dragon-riding game Century: Age of Ashes announced a Nov. 18 launch, Riders Republic is hosting an open beta, Call of Duty: Vanguard showed off some single-player gameplay, and Cult of the Lamb looks like an adorable barnyard hellscape. Looking forward to that one in 2022.

Plus, it's a great time for cameos, as Aloy's Genshin Impact debut was showcased, and Morgana from Persona 5 will be rolling into Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. And all of that isn't even counting the pre-show, where King of Fighters XV was locked for a Feb. 17, 2022 release date and Dream Cycle, the new game from the creator of Tomb Raider, was revealed.

It was a long day of Gamescom Opening Night Live announcements, but hopefully that catches you up to speed on whatever you might have missed. Let us know in the comments if you've go??t a favorite.

The post Here’s some highlights from today’s Gamescom Opening Night Live 2021 appeared first on Destructoid.

Opening Night Live begins at 11:00 a.m. Pacific, with a pre-show kicking off at 10:30 a.m.

The main attraction for Gamescom, Opening Night Live, starts at 10:30 a.m. Pacific today with a pre-show hosted by Kyle Bosman leading into Geoff Keighley's two-hour-long block of upcoming video game stuff w??ith new trailers, updates, and announcements.

You dow?n? If so, settle in �th??e show's about to start. Coffee #2 is ready.

//youtu.be/_lqD2vHSyzo

You can also watch the stream on Twitch, if you prefer.

There's a lot of room for a lot of games. What's confirmed for Opening Night Live so far? Saints Row, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, Genshin Impact, Valheim, Far Cry 6, Call of Duty: Vanguard, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and Death Stranding, among others.

In other words, expect quite a few minor updates for games we eit?her already know about or are actively playing, some long-awaited release dates, and sprinkled-in game reveals.

We kind of know what to expect from Keighley's live shows �he's ?consistent! �and I don't think this year will be much different. Swing by if you've got time to watch with?? the rest of the jbsgame.community, even if it's not all two hours plus. It'll be fun.

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We added some world premieres to your world premieres

Next week, Gamescom?? 2021 will kick off with Opening Night Live, a showcase featuring news and first looks at a bunch of upcoming games. But in case that wasn't enough for you, there will be more revea?ls in store for the pre-show too.

Today, Opening Night Live showrunner Geoff Keighley announced that there will be a pre-show beforehand, hosted by Kyle Bosman. The event will kick off 30 minutes ahead of the main show, starting at 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT, and is set to have eight world pre?mie??res to show off.

//twitter.com/geoffkeighley/status/1?428365440108007424

While we don't have too many indications of what those premieres will be as of the time of this writing, Drinkbox Studios—the makers of Severed and Guacamelee, who are currently working on Nobody Saves the World�/em>did tweet a pair of eyes emoji at the announcement. So, we g?ot that going fo??r us.