It’s August, and that means Geoff Keighley’s endless train of games is arriving in Cologne, Germany for Europe’s E3, Gamescom. Get ready for plenty of announcements (maybe), reveals (probably), and free game promo t-shirts that are only available in one size (definitely) as Gamescom rolls over five days, featuring most of the big publishers and developers. Plus a ton of Indians.
Whether you’re heading to Gamescom or just watching from home, we’ve got everything you need to know and what’s worth keeping an eye on. As the Germans would say, auf geht’s!
Everything you need to know about Gamescom
What is Gamescom?
It is the largest gaming event in the world, with an attendance of more than 350,000 people (before the pandemic). There will be fewer tickets sold this year, so the conference won’t break the 2019 record of 370,000 attendees.
Fun fact: This year marks the first time that Gamescom hopes to hold an “environmentally friendly” event, offering free local public transportation, planting trees and offsetting carbon emissions, among other initiatives, to make the conference as as close as possible to carbon emissions. as neutral as possible.
Where is Gamescom?
It’s in Cologne (or Köln, if you’re German), in western Germany. The actual location is Koelnmesse, a gigantic conference center expected to host more than 300,000 visitors for Gamescom.
However, there will also be an online component for anyone watching from home.
When is Gamescom?
August 23 – August 28, 2022. The conference technically starts on August 24, but Opening Night Live will take place on the night of the 23rd, with Geoff Keighley as host.
Did you say “Geoff Keighley”?
Oh yeah. He’s hosting Gamescom’s Opening Night Live, just like he did last year.
When is opening night live?
August 23 See below for time zone information:
- Central European Time: 8 pm
- British Summer Time: 7pm
- eastern time: 2 p.m.
- Pacific Time: 11 a.m.
- Japan Standard Time: 3 am on August 24
- Australian Eastern Standard Time: 4am on August 24
ONL will be two hours long, with more than 30 games shown, both new and previously announced.
Should I watch Opening Night Live?
In 2021, ONL had a ton of progress, with around 30 games announced. Those announcements included news about the Ninja Turtles game, release dates of Forbidden Horizon West Y Jett: the far shoreand a look at Death Stranding: Director’s Cutso it’s safe to say that 2022 will feature similar announcements, just don’t expect Nintendo to show up too much.
Where can I watch Opening Night Live?
Keighley will host Y streaming from his Game Awards YouTube channel:
How do I access Gamescom content online?
Most of the juicy stuff will carry over, which we cover in the next point.
But there’s also something called “Gamescom EPIX,” which is an online adventure that rewards players with prizes and achievements throughout August. You play as AI EPI, a small robot on a quest to protect the Gamescom vault from “the ultra-evil FARTURE, leader of bugs and glitches.”
Missions in EPIX include exploring the Gamescom website to find hidden items and information, changing your username, solving a Captcha (yes, really), completing a survey, and basically doing a bunch of comprehension tasks to demonstrate who has read everything. the text on the website. Rewards include virtual features, such as banners and avatars, as well as discounts on tickets and the chance to win a t-shirt or game codes.
What is the schedule?
general schedule
Monday, August 22 to Tuesday, August 23 is Devcom, a business development conference.
The night of Tuesday, August 23 is Opening Night Live.
Wednesday, August 24 is the official first day of Gamescom, but it is only open to trade visitors, media, and select private visitors from 9am to 7pm (private visitors from 1pm only).
Gamescom will then be open to the general public from Thursday, August 25 to Sunday, August 28, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Specific events
| Date | Time (Central Europe) | Event | where to look |
|---|---|---|---|
| tuesday august 23 | 20:00 | Opening Night Live | youtube, twitch |
| Wednesday, August 24 | 20:00 | future games show | youtube, twitch |
| Thursday August 25 | 14:00-20:00 | xbox booth live | youtube, twitch |
| Friday August 26 | 5:30 pm | awesome indian show | Youtube |
What is Nintendo showing at Gamescom?
Any! They have already confirmed that they will not attend. I am sorry!
This is what they said earlier this year:
Gamescom is a central event in the Nintendo events calendar. This year, however, after careful consideration, we decided not to participate in Cologne.
Instead, players can try out Nintendo Switch games as part of numerous events across Germany. Firmly planned events in advance include roadshows with our airstreamer and our bulli, for example at venues such as the SWR Summer and the Stuttgart Children’s and Youth Festival. For fans of Japan and video games, we have decided to participate in the Main Matsuri Japan Festival in Frankfurt, as well as the DoKomi in Düsseldorf and the Animagic in Mannheim. More tour stops and promotions are planned.
We look forward to seeing our fans again at many regional events.”
What companies exhibit?
More than 500 companies will be at Gamescom. Some of the big names:
- Microsoft
- Ubisoft
- SEGA
- tik tok
- Warner Bros
- bandai namco
- 2K
- Tencent
- hugging group
And some of the small to medium ones:
- team17
- THQ Nordic
- raw fury
- humble games
- NetEase
- thunderous
editors No Among the attendees are Sony and Nintendo, as we have already mentioned.
Notably, Ukrainian developers have been offered free booth space this year, following the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
Do we know of any important announcements?
A couple! Geoff Keighley has already tweeted some previews of Opening Night Live:
- News and new trailer for Sonic Frontiers
- A look at the Xbox/PC title high in lifeby SquanchGames
- A new look at Return to Monkey Island
- A world premiere of Goat Simulator 3 gameplay
- The next game from the studio Subnautica Unknown Worlds (a new IP)
How do I buy tickets?
Leaving it a little late, right? Well, you can buy tickets on the Gamescom website, for the following prices:
| type of ticket | Wednesday | Thursday or Friday | Saturday or Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| one day ticket | – | 25 euros | €30.50 |
| Discounted day ticket (pensioners, schoolchildren, students, trainees, people with severe disabilities) | – | 18 euros | 23 euros |
| Family day ticket (max. 5 people, max. 2 adults + min. 1 child from 7 to 11 years old) | – | 40 euros | 50 euros |
| Night ticket (4pm onwards) | – | 9 euros | 9 euros |
| Wildcard day ticket (13:00 onwards) | €59 | – |
Opening Night Live also has tickets, which are €29, as long as you’re over 18 and have a photo ID.
Eco-conscious attendees can also purchase a Green Ticket, which adds one euro to the cost of the ticket to support the Gamescom forest.
Anyone who hates queuing can purchase a “Superfan Ticket”, which grants the following benefits:
- Secure 3 instead of 2 Fast Lane tickets (based on availability)
- Get exclusive customization options for your gamescom profile
- Earn extra experience points at gamescom EPIX
All attendees will need the Gamescom Ticket app as all tickets are digital only. You can download the app here.
What is Gamescom’s COVID policy?
Koelnmesse seems to be complying with Germany’s rules regarding COVID. There are currently no restrictions on entry into the country, except for “virus variant areas of concern”, and at the time of writing, there are none. Any exhibitor who tests positive at the conference should isolate “to the greatest extent possible,” unless he has a booster shot or has previously had COVID and at least one vax.
Koelnmesse is apparently still trying to limit access to indoor areas “in such a way that the minimum distance between people is regularly guaranteed”, but there are no guidelines on what that means. Additionally, participants are encouraged to “voluntarily” wear a mask, but it is not required.
From the Gamescom website:
“Koelnmesse will continue to apply its comprehensive hygiene policy, such as providing hand sanitizer dispensers and cleaning at regular intervals.”
From his press release, the COO of Koelnmesse said:
“The comeback after Corona is a challenge for many events and trade fairs. It is therefore even more pleasing that gamescom defends its status as the world’s largest gaming event already in the first year after the break thanks to the numerous companies represented on the site”.
Are you going to Gamescom? Do you have more questions for us to answer? Let us know in the comments.
