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The latest gaming event of 2021, Gamescom, kicked off with an Opening Night Live broadcast that was once again hosted by games media veteran and personality Geoff Keighley, just like last year.
Below, you can watch the full show and learn about some of the biggest game news and reveals from the presentation. There was a whole lot to get through, including release dates for some of the biggest upcoming games.
How To Watch Gamescom Opening Night Live:
Opening Night Live took place Wednesday, August 25 as part of Gamescom’s virtual event this year. It is available in full below, including the half-hour pre-show.
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The Biggest Game Announcements & News
Call of Duty: Vanguard
The Call of Duty: Vanguard campaign gameplay premiere was shown during the event, giving us an extended look at the Russian sniper Polina as she works her way through a destroyed Stalingrad, picking off Nazi soldiers and stealthily slipping through their grasp while scavenging weapons. Before too long, we get to see her sniping skills in action as she tries to stop an execution, sending the block into chaos as the Germans rush to her position.
Saints Row
A short teaser was shown for the upcoming Saints Row game, which is arriving on February 25, 2022, and appears to be a full reboot for the series. With a “Self Made” slogan, it doesn’t look like you’re going to be starting off at the head of a multinational criminal organization like you did in the last game, and it should be more of a return to the slightly less-silly original few Saints Row games.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
Developed by Firaxis–the creators of the XCOM games–with creative director Jake Solomon once again at the helm, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a tactical role-playing game that is given some freedom to play with the Marvel superhero franchises. This includes featuring an original character called The Hunter alongside famous heroes like Captain America, Wolverine, and Iron Man. Gameplay will come on September 1 and it’s releasing for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC.
Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite was showcased during Opening Night Live after being absent from Microsoft’s own stream, focusing on a young woman hiding from a group of Brutes before a group of Spartans arrive and distract them long enough for her take cover. A flash-forward then shows that she become head of the Academy, now known as Commander Agryna, and trains new recruits, serving as a segue for more multiplayer details. She will serve as a key figure in the game’s first season. Halo: Infinite is coming December 8.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
The retro-style beat-’em-up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge will let you play as the four turtles, of course, but it will also include April O’Neil as a playable character. Using a combination of kicks and strikes with her microphone, she can dish out the pain. The heroes in half-shells can also be revived through strategic pizza usage, which is very on-brand for the series.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania
Sega gave us our look at 12 different party games for the upcoming revamped Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania, which combines the original three games. Flying, tennis, and, of course, bowling, are all featured in the game, as is billiards, soccer, and several other games. Morgana from the Persona series was also revealed as a fully playable character, joining the likes of Sonic and Yakuza’s Kazuma Kiryu.
Riders Republic
The upcoming extreme sports mashup Riders Republic was featured with a new trailer, showing off the game’s social area called Riders Ridge. It’s here you will team up with others or sign up events before taking on others in competitive activities. From skiing to biking and even rocket-powered wingsuit races, it’s all included in Riders Republic, and you can speed down mountains in first-person for ultimate motion sickness. The game’s beta is free now until August 28.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
After a lengthy time out of the spotlight, the nine-film adaptation Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga reemerged during Opening Night Live, showing gameplay from a variety of moments in the series’ long history, including climactic lightsaber battles in several of the movies. We also see some space dogfights in action, third-person shooting gameplay with Leia, and the exploration that will take you across several of its famous planets. And yes, there is always a bigger fish. The game arrives in Spring 2022.
Far Cry 6
Far Cry 6 got a new story trailer during the event, focused primarily on an interview Giancarlo Esposito’s character Anton Castillo gives to a journalist questioning his methods, including the use of slave labor in the creation of a cancer treatment. He doesn’t attempt to hide this, merely answering the question in a cold, calculated manner, and says “no one will care” about how he turned the island of Yara into a paradise. Protagonist Dani will be at the center of the revolution to overthrow him, but it’s unclear if the mission will be successful.
Horizon: Forbidden West
Guerrilla Games gave a development update on Horizon: Forbidden West during Gamescom: Opening Night Live, and as we anticipated, the game will not actually be arriving in 2021. Instead, Horizon: Forbidden West will release for both PS4 and PS5 on February 18, 2022. This is slightly later than the late 2021 date we expected, but the team has entered the final stage of development, and it doesn’t appear we’ll have to worry about another delay. A 60fps patch for Horizon: Zero Dawn was also released for the PS5.
Valheim
The surprise smash-hit Valheim is getting its first content update, Hearth & Home, and it now has a release date. Coffee Stain and Iron Gate released a new animated trailer for the update during the show, which set the tone with a giant, intimidating dragon facing off against a warrior–who decapitates it in one slash of his weapon. We later see the “home” part, as a family feasts on a variety of meats, pies, and fruits before the man drops the dragon’s head on the floor. The update arrives September 16.
Death Stranding: Director’s Cut
In a move that everyone anticipated, Geoff Keighley ended the presentation with Death Stranding: Director’s Cut on PS5, showing the improvements and additions in the new version of the game. There are new delivery support items, letting you stabilize your falls with thruster devices so you don’t have to die if you accidentally trip. A cargo catapult also lets you launch your cargo long distances, and a “buddy bot” can carry additional cargo and even carry you so you can relax and spend time thinking. You can also play the boss battles again, if you want to, for some reason. It’s out on September 24.
