Gamescom 2026 Dates Set for August 26-30, Opening Night Live Returns
Gamescom 2026 will run from August 26 to 30 in Cologne, Germany, with the opening night event scheduled for August 25 at 3:00 AM Japan time (August 26 local). The German Games Industry Association (game) and Koelnmesse report that this year's exhibition space sold out entirely through reservations for the first time, despite last year's expansion, making it the largest gamescom to date. Exhibitors include Japanese companies Nintendo, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Sega, and Konami, alongside EA, Ubisoft, Xbox, CD PROJEKT RED, Deep Silver, Focus Entertainment, KRAFTON, NC, HoYoverse, NetEase, and Tencent Games. Several titles will offer their first public playable demos, including Capcom's Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, Konami's Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, and Sega's Stranger Than Heaven. The event will also feature a dedicated Games Done Quick speedrun stage, with live programs running about ten hours daily from Friday to Sunday. Opening Night Live, hosted by Geoff Keighley and Eefje "sjokz" Depoortere, will include new trailers, gameplay reveals, and information on Metro 2039 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt expansion "Melody of Memories."