Gamescom is back in all its glory, with Gamescom 2022 shaping up to be one of the most significant events on the gaming calendar.
Unlike last year, Gamescom 2022 will take place as both a digital and in-person event (though that was also the plan in 2021), with the physical part taking place in Cologne, Germany once again and the whole event being streamed online across the globe for everyone to enjoy.
If you want to prepare for this year’s show, we’ve gathered all of the information we know about this year’s Gamescom so far, including when and where it’s happening and which exhibitors might attend. Read on for everything you need to know about Gamescom 2022.
Gamescom 2022: cut to the chase
What is it? The world’s largest gaming eventWhere is it? Cologne, Germany but streamed online globallyWhen is it? August 24 to August 28, 2022Who is attending? TBC (but we have some predictions you can find below)
What is Gamescom?
Gamescom is the world’s largest video game event (in terms of attendee numbers), and it takes place annually (usually in August). In 2019, the show saw 373,000 visitors, with hundreds of exhibitors showcasing their latest gaming, esports, and tech projects.
Gamescom takes place in Cologne, Germany, with gaming fans flocking from all over the globe to try new games before their release and engage with community activities, like cosplay contests and esports competitions. It’s also a meeting point for the games industry’s retail, trade, and media representatives.
Usually, the industry’s most prominent publishers are involved, and we often see a lot of gaming news revealed during the show, whether that be new game reveals, release date announcements, or trailer drops.
When is Gamescom 2022?
(Image credit: Gamescom)
Every year, Gamescom takes place at the Koelnmesse exhibition center in Cologne, Germany. However, Gamescom 2021 had no physical presence due to the coronavirus pandemic and took place entirely online.
This year, Gamescom is back in all its glory, with Gamescom 2022 taking place both digitally and also in-person on-site in Cologne across three days, from August 24 to August 28, 2022. Typically we see Devcom precede Gamescom, with the developer conference starting with content focus days a few days before its business focus days begin.
What is Opening Night Live?
(Image credit: Gamescom)
Gamescom has had its own gaming news conference called Opening Night Live, which takes place during the event’s opening night. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, Opening Night Live is streamed online globally and, while its return for Gamescom 2022 hasn’t been confirmed, we expect Keighley will confirm the showcase and its date in the near future (with the showcase likely taking place on August 24).
Opening Night Live will no doubt introduce us to the most significant chunks of gaming news that this year’s Gamescom has to offer. It’d be wise to expect trailers, release date announcements, interviews, and maybe some new game reveals during the evening showcase.
Attendees and predictions
(Image credit: Gamescom)
The attendees for Gamescom 2022 haven’t been confirmed yet but, based on previous attendance, we can make an educated prediction on who might (and probably won’t) attend Gamescom 2022.
One of the biggest conferences of the show will likely be the Xbox/Bethesda showcase. Microsoft tends to exhibit at Gamescom each year and Gamescom 2021 saw Xbox and Bethesda partaking in a joint presentation where it showcased both first and third-party titles. We think Microsoft’s attendance at Gamescom 2022 is a safe bet.
Unfortunately, Xbox could be the only attendee of the big three this year, if last year is anything to go by. Both Sony PlayStation and Nintendo tend to keep their big announcements for their own showcases (State of Play and Nintendo Direct respectively) but that doesn’t mean we won’t see PlayStation or Nintendo games making an appearance at Opening Night Live.
Based on last year, it’s likely we’ll also see appearances from EA, Ubisoft, Bandai Namco, Activision, SEGA, Team17, Koch Media, Konami, and more at Gamescom 2022.
We will update this section as soon as publishers and developers begin confirming their attendance.
What happened at Gamescom 2021?
(Image credit: 343 Industries)
Gamescom 2021 Opening Night Live did a great job of introducing us to a slew of new trailers for some of the most anticipated games coming soon, as well as some surprise announcements we’re very much looking forward to. Host Geoff Keighley put a big emphasis on “holiday” releases, and he wasn’t wrong. We received release dates for games coming out around the November/December time period including Halo Infinite, as well as a slew of titles slated for early 2022.
Opening Night Live gave us a CG reveal trailer for the Saints Row reboot, a new gameplay trailer for Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and DokeV, a preview trailer for Death Stranding: Director’s Cut, a demo for Call of Duty: Vanguard, a release date for Halo Infinite and the announcement of the Marvel Midnight Suns tactical RPG.
The Xbox/Bethesda showcase was a bit less exciting, devoid of any updates on anticipated titles like Halo Infinite, Elder Scrolls 6, and Fable. While the Xbox showcase had its thunder largely stolen by Opening Night Live, it still had its highlights, including Dying Light 2 footage, deep dive on a rather peculiar Age of Empires 4 mode, and gameplay footage for Forza Horizon 5.
Other highlights from Gamescom 2021’s conferences included a world premiere trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters, world-exclusive gameplay for Life is Strange: True Colors, and the debut of Jurassic World Aftermath Part 2 for Oculus Quest 2.
Make sure to check out our Gamescom 2021: the best games of the show guide for all the biggest announcements from last year’s show.
Upcoming games 2022: all the upcoming game releases for console and PC
