(Pocket-lint) - Gamescom is Europe's reply to E3.
Held annually successful Germany, it is simply a likewise immense lawsuit for gamers, with the biggest forthcoming titles connected show for press, commercialized visitors and the nationalist alike.
Sadly, portion the pandemic is ongoing, Gamescom 2021 is virtual-only but that doesn't mean determination won't beryllium plentifulness to see. Here's our usher connected what to expect, erstwhile it starts, and however to travel everything arsenic it happens.
What is Gamescom and erstwhile does it tally until?
Gamescom started successful 2009 and is traditionally held annually astatine the Koelnmesse normal centre successful Cologne, Germany. It mostly runs successful mid to late-August.
However, since the planetary pandemic hit, similar astir conventions, it has switched to a digital-ony lawsuit with an opening nighttime unrecorded presumption and online crippled reveals that spans 3 days from contiguous to Friday 27 August.
While immoderate games person been announced already - positive an Xbox Stream that took spot connected Tuesday - the authoritative kickoff amusement volition commencement astatine 8pm CEST aboriginal today, Wednesday 25 August. It's a two-hour Opening Night Live presumption of much than 30 games.
Gamescom 2021 property conferences
Xbox has already streamed its Gamescom presumption event, but determination are a fewer others yet to come.
Gamescom 2021 Opening Night Live
As mentioned above, Gamescom volition besides big its ain two-hour presumption today. Called Opening Night Live, it'll amusement footage, trailers and chat to developers for implicit 30 games.
You tin watch it close present person the time.
Here are the times for your region:
- West Coast US: 11am PDT
- East Coast US: 2pm EDT
- UK: 7pm BST
- Central Europe: 8pm CEST
24 hours from now!
Here are immoderate of the publishers who volition beryllium participating successful @gamescom #OpeningNightLive tomorrow.
Hope to spot you for the livestream arsenic we observe each the astonishing video games coming aboriginal this twelvemonth and successful the future! pic.twitter.com/2J1xJEgzHS
Gamescom Awesome Indies Showcase
As with past year, a dedicated lawsuit for indie games volition beryllium hosted by Michael Swaim connected Thursday 26 August. It'll beryllium produced successful collaboration with IGN and you tin ticker it via the embed below.
Here are the commencement times for your area:
- West Coast US: 11.30am PDT
- East Coast US: 2.30pm EDT
- UK: 7.30pm BST
- Central Europe: 8.30pm CEST
The Future Games Show
A peculiar Gamescom variation of The Future Games Show volition beryllium hosted by stars of Resident Evil Village, Maggie Robertson and Aaron LaPlante. It volition besides beryllium streamed connected Thursday 26 August, starting astatine 10pm CEST, and disposable connected the GamesRadar YouTube channel.
Here are the times for your region:
- West Coast US: 1pm PDT
- East Coast US: 4pm EDT
- UK: 9pm BST
- Central Europe: 10pm CEST
Gamescom 2021: Cosplay
One of the things that makes Gamescom a small antithetic to E3 and akin events is that it embraces cosplay more. Indeed, it has an yearly cosplay competition, truthful encourages a big of planetary visitors to formal arsenic Pikachu oregon 1 of their different favourite videogame characters.
While digital-only this year, the amusement is inactive hosting a cosplay competition, conscionable online instead. Entrants are encouraged to nonstop photos to the organiser and a prime squad of judges volition big an online watercourse to take the winners.
You tin find retired much astir the digital Cosplay Village here.
Gamescom 2021: The highlights
As with erstwhile years, we are bringing you each the champion games and highlights of Gamescom arsenic they are announced. Check backmost present often.
Xbox astatine Gamescom 2021
Xbox kicked disconnected the shenanigans with a 90-minute Stream lawsuit connected the eve of Gamescom. You tin find retired everything that was announced close here. However, our main highlights were an 8-minute gameplay video for Forza Horizon 5, a caller gameplay trailer for Dying Light 2, and the announcement that Game Pass Cloud Gaming is coming to Xbox consoles aboriginal this year.
This means that Xbox One owners volition beryllium capable to play the Xbox Series X/S versions of galore games, acknowledgment to streaming them implicit the internet.
Publishers taking portion successful Gamescom 2021
Here are the brands taking portion successful Gamescom this year:
- 505 Games
- Activision
- Aerosoft
- Assemble Entertainment
- Astragon Entertainment
- Bandai Namco
- Bethesda
- Daedalic
- Electronic Arts
- Epic Games
- Frontier
- Gamevil Com2Us Europe
- Headup
- Koch Media
- Konami
- Mediatonic
- Netmarble
- Next Studios (Tencent Games)
- Pearl Abyss
- Sega
- Smilegate
- Team 17
- Thunderful Games
- Ubisoft
- Wargaming
- Xbox
Writing by Rik Henderson. Originally published connected 4 August 2016.