Update: Gamescom 2017 is rapidly coming to a end with only one more day before the doors close for another year. Make sure you're up to date with the latest news and announcements from the show by reading below.
Original article continues below...
Gamescom has begun. Arguably Europe's biggest gaming event (some have taken to calling it Europe's more consumer friendly E3), this annual show in Cologne has garnered a reputation for being the place to get the latest gaming news.
The show floor is now open to everyone, which means right now thousands of fans are getting the chance to try out the latest games.
Unlike E3, Gamescom isn't a show where big hardware reveals are made. Instead, there’s a strong focus on software from everyone at Gamescom.
If you want to keep up with the latest goings on from the show then read on. We'll be watching each major livestream to report the biggest news as it happens, and we're also on the show floor to play the latest games.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Europe’s biggest gaming expo
- When is it? August 22 – 26
The latest Gamescom 2017 news
Microsoft
Microsoft got things off to a reasonably strong but long start with its hour and a half long livestreamed keynote on Sunday August 20. Here are the stand out reveals:
- Xbox One X pre-orders are now live
- There are now more than 100 confirmed Xbox One X Enhanced titles including Wolfenstein II
- A new trailer for Middle Earth: Shadow of War was shown
- A brand new cinematic trailer was revealed for Assassin's Creed Origins
- Sea of Thieves will support cross play between PC and Xbox
- Microsoft announced that it would publish definitive remasters of Age of Empires II and III, as well as a completely new sequel in the series, Age of Empires IV
- We've had a chance to try out the hottest upcoming Xbox indie game, Cuphead
We might as well cut to the chase here: Xbox One X pre-orders going live was definitely Microsoft's biggest announcement during this livestream. It was what everyone had been waiting for and, of course, it came right at the end.
If you'd like to know how to pre-order an Xbox One X right now, we can help you there.
Efforts were made to make the console look more enticing as a prospect before pre-orders were announced, something that's probably especially important now that one of its bigger launch titles, Crackdown 3, has been delayed.
Hammering the point that you certainly won't be short of games to play if you get an Xbox One X on its November 7 release, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg confirmed that there are currently more than 100 Enhanced titles confirmed for the console. You can see them all for yourself right here.
According to Greenberg, 4K enhancement patches will be widespread and “all the biggest games are doing it” from new titles such as Battlefront 2, FIFA 18 and Wolfenstein II to older games like Titanfall 2 and Fallout 4.
A brand new expansion and definitive edition of Microsoft’s exclusive title ReCore was announced. The expanded game will feature improved visuals for Xbox One X with HDR support. It won’t, however, be in 4K. For those that already own the original game, this expanded version will be made available to download for free.
ReCore Definitive Edition will also be of interest to Games Pass users. Microsoft confirmed that the service is expanding to 8 new markets and that it’ll be adding 7 new titles this month, one of which will be ReCore: Definitive Edition.
Xbox Design Lab was also confirmed to be expanding quickly to more than 20 additional European countries. Interested in designing your very own custom controller with Xbox Design Lab? Check out our how to guide.
In other hardware news, the Xbox One S got some attention in the form of a limited edition Minecraft console and the reveal of a brand new Shadow of War bundle. Both are available to pre-order now with the former due to be delivered October 3 and the latter October 10.
Other than those big money spending opportunities, Microsoft's press conference wasn't big on the software reveals.
We got the chance to see more of Assassin's Creed: Origins with a brand new cinematic trailer. Considering at E3 everything we saw about this game was rather gameplay focused, it was nice just to sit back and watch some extremely pretty visuals.
Another new trailer popped up for Middle Earth: Shadow of War which is rapidly approaching its October release date. This is a game for which we've seen a lot of footage already but the new trailer is well worth watching if only to confirm that, yes, it does look like it might be an improvement on Shadow of Mordor in terms of scale and visuals.
Sea of Thieves was featured, you won’t be surprised to hear. A brand new build is coming to Gamescom and it was confirmed that cross-play will be available. That means whether you’re playing on Windows 10 PC or Xbox One, you’ll be able to play together. Between Tuesday August 22 and Saturday August 26 technical alpha players going to have access to crossplay, but the team said that before the game is released pretty much everyone will be able to have a turn before they buy.
Microsoft also featured its ID@Xbox program, and brought forth the highly anticipated animated indie darling, Cuphead. The game will be available to play at the show and we hope to be able to bring your our first impressions of it during the week.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the highlight reel of Microsoft's Gamescom conference. Things aren't over yet, of course. There will undoubtedly be more reveals coming up this week and we'll be sure to bring them to you right here.
Nintendo
- A SNES inspired 3DS XL is coming to Europe on October 13
- A new food-themed 'Luncheon Kingdom' for Super Mario Odyssey has been revealed.
- The Nintendo Switch version of Rocket League will contain exclusive Battle-Cars based on Mario, Luigi, and Samus Aran.
- 3 new games have been announced for the Nintendo Select 3DS range: Super Mario 3D land, Luigi's Mansion 2 and Kirby Triple Deluxe
- Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon pre-orders have now opened
- Pokemon Gold and Silver packaged editions can now be pre-ordered
- Fire Emblem Warriors is coming to 3DS and Nintendo Switch in Autumn and has a new trailer
- Metroid Samus Returns got a brand new trailer
For a long time we've known that Nintendo doesn't need a stage show to make big announcements; just give it an internet connection and it'll livestream direct to you. At this year's Gamescom, however, it seems Nintendo doesn't even need that. Now it just needs a Twitter account.
Before we get into the Twitter news, Nintendo showed off a host of new gameplay for Super Mario Odyssey. It announced a new food-themed kingdom, the Luncheon Kingdom, and showed Mario and his sentient hat, 'Cappy' making their way through various culinary delights.
As previously mentioned, Nintendo also dropped a handful of exciting announcements on day one of Gamescom this year through its Twitter accounts, including new hardware reveals and pre-order launches.
For all those disappointed that they've not managed to get their hands on a SNES mini pre-order just yet, Nintendo has unveiled that on October 13 it'll be releasing a SNES-inspired 3DS XL console in the UK and Europe. At the moment there's no word on pricing or whether a US version will be released but we'll keep you updated on that here.
Keeping on the theme of the 3DS, Nintendo also revealed that it would be adding 3 more classic games to its more affordable Nintendo Select range. These games are Super Mario 3D land, Luigi's Mansion 2 and Kirby Triple Deluxe. They're all fantastic games so it's exciting to see them re-released at more affordable price points for everyone to enjoy.
Fire Emblem Warriors now has a European release date for Europe on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS. It's coming on October 20 and there'll also be a limited edition Switch boxset which will come with the original soundtrack over three discs and character cards. Watch the game's brand new trailer below:
Nintendo also used the buzz around Gamescom to launch pre-orders for the upcoming Pokemon games, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, on its UK store. You can now order your preferred edition of the game ahead of its November 17 release with a figurine of one of the Alola region starter Pokemon for £39.99.
That wasn't even the last of the Pokemon pre-order launches. In September Nintendo will be re-releasing Pokemon Gold and Silver on its virtual console. However, for those that prefer their Pokemon games in boxes, it's also released special physical editions which will contain a download code for the game. These boxed editions can now be pre-ordered from the Nintendo UK store for £8.99.
Finally, Nintendo's Metroid: Samus Returns livestream on August 24 brought a brand new trailer for the game which you can watch below:
Sony
- Shenmue III is really real and it has a PS4 trailer
- Destiny 2 is closer than ever and its launch trailer is here to get you excited
- Sony is releasing a shiny GT Sport-inspired limited edition PS4 Pro console
- Destiny 2, Uncharted:The Lost Legacy and Play Link are all featured on the show floor
Sony might not be taking to the stage at Gamescom or holding a livestream like EA and Microsoft, but that doesn't mean it's staying quiet. Gamescom is kicking into high gear and Sony has made itself heard by joining up with Bungie and Push Square to release trailers for Destiny 2 and the highly anticipated Shenmue 3.
We've known for a while that Shenmue 3 was going to make an appearance at Gamescom, but we were told it wouldn't be on a huge scale. Though we still don't have much information about the game, the game getting its very first teaser trailer is a nice way to let fans know that development is moving forward.
You can watch the trailer for yourself right here:
Destiny 2 isn't far from its console release so Gamescom was the perfect time to build hype with a launch trailer. Bungie and PlayStation have a special relationship when it comes to Destiny 2, with PlayStation players getting earlier access and limited time exclusives. In light of that, it makes sense that the trailer was posted to Twitter by PlayStation. You can see it for yourself and read a lot more about Destiny 2 in our main hub.
Forza isn't going to be the only racing game vying for your attention this year. PlayStation is kicking its GT Sport marketing into high gear with a limited edition 1TB PS4 Slim console.
The console will be released in Europe, the UK and Australia on October 18 at selected by as yet unconfirmed retailers. There doesn't appear to be a model planned for release in the US at the moment.
The console is a steely silver with a controller to match and its more subtle than most limited edition consoles, settling for having the GT Sport logo on the main body in a slightly darker grey.
The limited edition console comes with a Day 1 edition of the game which provides access to $250,000 in-game credits, livery sticker packs, a chrome racing helmet and 60 PS4 avatars.
The limited edition controller will also be available to buy separately if you'd rather not go all in with a console purchase, or if you'd like more than one of these controllers so that your friends can't groundlessly claim you have an unfair advantage when you take them on at the game.
On the show floor itself, Sony is showcasing Destiny 2, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and its new multiplayer platform PlayLink. We'll keep updating here with more news as it comes in.
EA
EA's Gamescom 2017 keynote was a short but sweet affair. There weren't any bombshell announcements (unless you're a Sims 4 fan), but EA used the time to show off some new smaller details about some of the biggest games coming soon. Here's a full recap of what EA announced:
- A new trailer for Star Wars Battlefront II's Starfighter Assault has landed
- FIFA 18 got its very own brand new trailer
- BMW unveiled its new M5, which will be drivable for the first time in Need for Speed: Payback
- EA reiterated that The Sims 4 is coming to Xbox One and PS4 in November
- The Sims 4 is getting a new Cats & Dogs expansion on November 10 (trailer)
- EA Originals' Fe is coming to Nintendo Switch
- Battlefield 1 revealed a new in-development 5-on-5 Incursion mode
- EA also announced Battlefield 1 Revolution edition - a collection of all the Battlefield 1 content released so far
The overall gist? Lots of great small announcements but nothing groundbreaking. The show stood on a few pillars – Star Wars Battlefront II, Need for Speed: Payback, The Sims 4 and Battlefield 1's In the Name of the Tsar expansion. Each section had a few tantalizing morsels of info (see above) but no new game announcements.
Bethesda
- Wolfenstein II will be an Xbox One X Enhanced game
- We got hands-on with the Evil Within 2 and found it very scary indeed
- Fallout VR now has a release date of December 12
- Doom VFR has a confirmed release date of December 1
At this year’s Gamescom Bethesda is going hard on showcasing the games it announced at E3 rather than making any new announcements. This is pretty understandable as many of these games are due to be released before the year is out.
This year, we're seeing a big push for the upcoming Dishonored standalone adventure that’s due for release as soon as September, known as Dishonored: Death of the Outsider. Other than this, Wolfenstein II and The Evil Within 2 are being given plenty of attention. The former was confirmed as an Xbox One X enhanced title at the show and we got hands-on with the latter and found it more than a little bit frightening. Not that we'd admit that.
Bethesda also confirmed when we'll be able to start playing its AAA VR offerings. Doom VFR will be coming to PSVR and HTC Vive on December 1 while Fallout 4 VR will come exclusively to HTC Vive on December 12.
This is slightly later than these games were expected as initially it was reported they'd be released in October. December is, however, the perfect time to bundle them in for Christmas.
The games are standalone purchases and currently on Steam, Fallout 4 VR is up for pre-order at £39.99 – or $59.99 in the US (around AU$76) – with Doom VFR pitched at a much cheaper £19.99 or $29.99 (around AU$38).
As ever we're anticipating updates on Bethesda’s long-running online offerings Quake Champions and Elder Scrolls Online and we'll update here as soon as they come.
Ubisoft
- Anno 1800 has been announced and it's coming in winter 2018
- Anno Union is a new way for fans to offer feedback on the game and play it early
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is having a free-to-play period starting August 24 and ending August 27 in anticipation of the launch of Operation Blood Orchid expansion
- Assassin's Creed got not one but two new trailers. One cinematic and one featuring gameplay and some famous historical faces.
Ubisoft had a big presentation at E3 this year, so it's opted to stay off stage for Gamescom. That doesn't mean, however, it didn't have a big announcement to make: the latest installment in the city-building Anno series is coming and it's going back into the past.
Anno 1800 is scheduled for release in winter 2018 and this seventh title in the city simulation franchise will be the first time since 2009 that the series will have a historical setting. At the show we got a look at a very early alpha build of the game and found out a bit more about it.
According to the developers, the decision to return to a historical setting was partly driven by fan demand and it'll see the return of many beloved features including diplomacy, trade routes,AI characters, and randomly generated maps. It'll also feature a single player campaign mode, a sandbox mode and online multiplayer.
You can see the announcement trailer below:
Though the game is still in its early stages, the developers say they want fans to be involved and you can sign up to help provide feedback on the game, make suggestions for features and play test it months before release at anno-union.com.
In anticipation of the next expansion to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege called Operation Blood Orchid arriving on September 5, it was also announced that the game would be free-to-play across consoles and PC from August 24 until August 27. Players will have the chance to try out the game for free and buy it for 50% off between August 24 and September 4 if they find it's for them.
Other than that, Ubisoft has brought Far Cry 5, For Honor, Assassin's Creed: Origins, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Just Dance 2017, The Crew 2, and South Park: The Fractured But Whole to this year's show for fans to try for themselves.
Ubisoft will also be bringing some eSports action to the show this year, stating that it'll be hosting the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Pro League Season 2 Finals. According to Ubisoft, viewers will see "the best teams from Season 2 including Elevate, PENTA Sports and current champions Millenium against each other."
The semi-finals will take place on Friday August 25th followed by the finals on Saturday August 26th, at the Alpha Stage ESL in Hall 9. If you're not at the event itself you'll find all of this livestreamed on Twitch.
Square Enix, Nvidia, and the rest
We've already had some significant announcements from some of the smaller players at Gamescom this year thanks to Nvidia's keynote. You can check out these announcements, along with all the others from the rest of the show, below:
- Final Fantasy XV is coming to PC
- PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is getting Nvidia ShadowPlay Highlights support
- Square Enix has shown off a new Life is Strange: Before the Storm trailer
- Destiny 2 will feature HDR on PC
- Shenmue 3 got its very first teaser trailer
- HP announced a brand new gaming laptop - the Omen X
- There's been a sudden increase in the number of high quality standalone spin-off games. We ponder over whether this is the new face of nostalgia and what it could mean for narrative games.
At Nvidia's press conference the graphics card specialist also announced Ansel support for Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 and Shadow of War, which allows you to take and edit screenshots in-game.
- Gamescom is Europe's largest annual gaming event, stuffed full of the latest and greatest games, consoles, and gaming hardware. TechRadar is reporting live from Cologne to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated Gamescom 2017 hub to see all the latest news, along with TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice about the next year in gaming
