Alright, gamers, fasten your seatbelts because Geoff Keighley just dropped a major hype bomb. Gamescom Opening Night Live will be three weeks away, on August 19th, in Cologne, Germany: with at least two hours of game news and updates and an awkward presenter moment worthy of meme-dom. The show will be streamed on every platform imaginable, so one cannot miss it unless the whole city loses power in a storm… which… F.
The buzz created by Keighley’s initial tweet was a full-scale reaction, prediction, and almost the usual chaotic Twitter energy. Some are excited (“hype hype hype 🥰” says Exodia, die Verbotene – mood); while others are already bemoaning (“1 hour and a half ads” says beable… oof.). That is typical gamer duality.
The first question – what does one or should one expect? Well, judging by the replies, Resident Evil gameplay, probably (shoutout to SiKthY). Kingdom Hearts 4 news (James says KH fans will be “getting their makeup ready” –which, honestly, tracks with that fandom). Wild rumors about Spider-Man coming to Xbox (GIN_XSX and meyerpark are really out there manifesting), but let’s be real… the level of likelihood is about the same as a Half-Life 3 announcement.
Other ones more realistically? Getting a good glance at the rumored Jurassic Park survival game (L1FEF1ND5AW4Y and Kai-San are praying hard), Switch 2 news (Crimson Fox speaking on behalf of all Nintendo stans), and perhaps actual surprises. Because, fierce truth-when will they break your expectations by completely bombing with a serious, unexpected reveal? Then Twitter loses.
Well, some are still not convinced. Blitz9942 flat out asks if this will just be a rehash of stuff we’ve all supposedly gotten glimpses of – pertinent after years of game shows promising the moon and delivering… well, someday after the next trailer drops for another game we are all thinking of pre-ordering for. And Kingofkings611 is already laser-focused on being pissed about it being on a workday (Tuesday, August 19 – mark your calendars and call in sick if you have to).
The real question remains… will it even be worth watching? Wave Man demands it to be worth it, and so am I after Summer Game Fest kind of folding this year (fight me!). So it’s up to Gamescom to deliver. So, they’ve got two hours to waste, so those reveals better be sandwiched in between a whole lot of adverts and really awkward transitions.
One thing is certain: gaming communities shall be watching. As a united front, either celebrating the new announcements, or embracing meme-worthy cringeworthy moments, or just soaking in collective hype (or disappointment), August 19 will crown one of those nights when Twitter collapses into an all-out war zone full of hot takes. And honestly, wouldn’t want it any other way.
For those lucky enough to have an actual ticket in, (shoutout to Mathias Feichtinger and Andreas Arzensek already hyped about it), enjoy the German summer and try not to keel over from excitement. Everyone else: clear your schedules, fill your pantry with popcorn, and get those button mashes ready, because Gamescom Opening Night Live is about to blow the roof off.
