Game-Changing Surprises Await: Prepare for Unforgettable Moments at Gamescom Opening Night Live

Highlights

Geoff Keighley's annual Gamescom show Opening Night Live 2023 will focus on updates for already announced games, rather than big reveals like Summer Game Fest.

Fans can anticipate updates on games such as Alan Wake 2 and Black Myth: Wukong during Opening Night Live, along with the possible unveiling of release dates for eagerly awaited games. The event is scheduled to occur on August 22.

Geoff Keighley has raised the expectations of fans leading up to his annual Gamescom show, Opening Night Live 2023. Keighley, the creator of The Game Awards, established this event nearly ten years ago to honor the best games of the year and offer fans a preview of what's to come. As E3's dominance in summer game announcements weakened due to the COVID pandemic, Keighley introduced an alternative called Summer Game Fest and also launched his Gamescom showcase, Opening Night Live, later in the summer.

In yet another E3-free June, Geoff Keighley elevated his fourth annual Summer Game Fest showcase to new heights. With a live audience for the first time, SGF 2023 featured numerous significant game announcements, including gameplay reveals for Mortal Kombat 1 and Alan Wake 2, release dates for Lies of P (inspired by Bloodborne) and Insomniac's Spider-Man 2, and the long-awaited reveal of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

As the middle child between SGF and The Game Awards in Geoff Keighley's annual trilogy, Opening Night Live often finds itself in a challenging position. In an interview with Video Games Chronicle just a week before Gamescom kicked off, Keighley emphasized that fans should primarily anticipate updates on previously announced titles rather than a slew of grand, jaw-dropping unveilings like those seen at SGF. He specifically mentioned Remedy's highly anticipated and soon-to-be-released Alan Wake 2, along with the enigmatic Chinese folklore-inspired game, Black Myth: Wukong, as two titles that viewers can look forward to seeing at the event. "This year's ONL is focused less on introducing brand-new projects and more on offering fans updates on some of the biggest games slated for release in the coming year," Keighley revealed to VGC.

While it may disappoint some, "updates" could still include release dates or windows for highly anticipated games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Persona 3 Reload, Star Wars Outlaws, and more in 2024. Opening Night Live could also provide more information on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 or character reveals for Mortal Kombat 1. There may also be a new look at Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, an update on Monolith's Wonder Woman title, or details about Kingdom Hearts 4. However, these are just speculations for now. Fans will have to tune in to find out which games will be shown.

As Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest, Opening Night Live, and The Game Awards grow and improve, the purpose of ONL being sandwiched between the Summer hype and the Game Awards is becoming clearer. In a year filled with game releases like 2023, ONL may take on the role of being "the update show" of Keighley's events. Despite this, the excitement of speculating which games will be featured still remains. Fans only have to wait for about a week until Opening Night Live on August 22.

Source: VGC