Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022 live coverage - All the news as it happens
Join us as we cover Keighley's Opening Night Live with all the news, reveals, and other gossip
Keighley's Opening Night Live showcase is just an hour or so away. The man himself has been hyping specific games and updates that will feature in his showcase via his Twitter feed, and over on The Game Awards' own feed too, so we have a good idea of at least some of the games that will feature. Let's see what they are, shall we?
THE CALLISTO PROTOCOL
Sony's State of Play June 2022 event revealed a brand new trailer and December 2, 2022 release date for The Callisto Protocol, followed by more info and the first gameplay footage at Keighley's own Summer Game Fest showcase later that month. However, it turns out there's more to see of this new space horror game from Glen Schofield (aka the Dead Space co-creator). This will be "brand new gameplay" presented by none other than Schofield himself.
When it drops later this year, you'll be playing as Jacob Lee, an inmate of the maximum-security prison found on Jupiter's moon – the titular Callisto. But, when the other prisoners start turning into bizarre and horrific alien creatures, it all goes a bit wrong. Lee must work to not only survive but discover various secrets that lie deep down in the bowels of the prison itself. Everything we've seen of this game looks terrifying and amazing in equal measure, so it'll be awesome to see more.
HOGWARTS LEGACY
Next up, Keighley is offering an "exclusive new look" at Hogwarts Legacy. The last we saw of the game was at a special PlayStation State of Play event back in March. That reveal was for the first gameplay of the title, which was wonderfully long and detailed – including information on classes, potions, spells, and other activities. The game has since been delayed again to February 10, 2023, but this will be the first we've seen of it since that major March event.
If you need a reminder, this is the game that's going to drop you into the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a fifth-year student with a link to ancient magic. It's set some 100 years prior to Potter and co, and She Who Shall Not Be Named isn't part of the project.
HIGH ON LIFE
Another one definitely set to feature is High on Life, the latest video game from the brain of Rick and Morty's Justin Roiland and his development team at Squanch Games. Officially announced at the Xbox and Bethesda Game Showcase in June, it was originally due to land this October, but has since been delayed to December 13.
As with Hogwarts Legacy, we're expecting to get an "exclusive new look" at the game, which sees you plays as a human who's forced to team up with a race of sentient guns and weapons in order to save humanity from an alien drug cartel that wants to literally get high on human life. It looks brilliantly bizarre, as you'd expect from Roiland, so any more insight into the title is bound to appeal.
90 MINUTES TO GO
We're just an hour and a half away from ONL kicking off! Set your timers folks!
SONIC FRONTIERS
This one gets an upgrade from an "exclusive new look" to a "world premiere new look" at Opening Night Live. That's right, Sonic Frontiers is going to get a decent slot in the spotlight at ONL later, which will involve some news about the title. Could it be that we're about to get the release date for the upcoming Sonic title? Officially, it's still circling around a 'Holiday 2022' launch window and is yet to pin down a specific day. But, according to an official ad for Sonic Frontiers that leaked earlier today, it's going to launch on November 8 - the day before God of War Ragnarok.
The reception around the game has been pretty mixed so far, so could fresh gameplay and a release date turn more heads for the blue blur's next adventure?
NEW GAME FROM SUBNAUTICA DEVS
One brand new game that we know is going to make its debut at Opening Night Live is the next title from Unknown Worlds – the developer behind the Subnautica games. Interestingly, it's going to be a "turn-based, sci-fi strategy game" according to Unknown Worlds, which is quite different from any of the team's previous titles. Before Subnautica, the studio made an FPS / strategy hybrid called Natural Selection (which received a sequel simply called Natural Selection 2), but again didn't involve turn-based combat.
The Opening Night Live section for the game – which has yet to be officially named – will apparently feature "lots of gameplay", so it seems we're going to get a good sense of what Unknown Worlds' next project is.
GOAT SIMULATOR 3
Goat Simulator 3 is making a return after its original reveal at Summer Game Fest back in June with a trailer that seriously baited Dead Island 2 fans. Since then, we've got confirmation the title is dropping on November 17 and will feature four-player co-op. But, we're going to get the gameplay premiere for the no doubt zany title at Opening Night Live.
Is anyone going to mention the fact there wasn't a Goat Simulator 2…?
1 HOUR TO GO
Opening Night Live will start in one hour! You have been warned!
RETURN TO MONKEY ISLAND
Is Return to Monkey Island getting a release date at Opening Night Live? We sure hope so. All Keighley is giving away is that a) it's going to be a part of the showcase and b) that entails a "brand new look" at the game. Could be that it's a fresh trailer, but with that release date still listed as a loose 2022, it's ripe for an unveiling.
The game is continuing the story of Guybrush Threepwood that we last picked up way back in 1991 with Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's revenge. It's going to be a brand new point-and-click adventure with friends old and new, all brought to life by original creator Ron Gilbert, who's joined by a host of top-notch developer friends.
THE EXPANSE: A TELLTALE SERIES
Telltale Games is back with a brand new game series based on the TV show of the same name – The Expanse: A Telltale Series. Joining up with Life is Strange: Before the Storm developer, Deck Nine Games, this new title will see you play as XO Camina Drummer, who's a big character in the TV series. Set in the near future on the outskirts of an asteroid belt, your choices will determine the fate of the ship, the Artemis, after a bloody mutiny breaks out. The first gameplay for the series is going to debut at Opening Night Live, which is rather exciting indeed.
LIES OF P
This might be one that hasn't been on many people's radar yet, but it definitely will after today's showcase I'd imagine. Lies of P is a game inspired by the story of Pinocchio, but is an action Soulslike set in what's being described as "a dark Belle Époque world". You'll play as Pinocchio as he relentlessly tries to become a real boy by finding Mr Geppetto. You'll have to lie to everyone if you stand a chance of becoming human, with procedural 'lying quests' that play out depending on how you lie. It looks mad, sounds amazing, and should be an interesting part of today's showcase. No release date or launch window for this one yet either.
30 MINUTES TO GO
Just 30 minutes to go until Opening Night Live. Time to gather your snacks!
HONKAI STAR RAIL
HoYoVerse's Honkai Star Rail is also getting a "new look" as part of Opening Night Live. It's the fourth entry in the Honkai series, but obviously is getting more buzz because of the success of Genshin Impact. "Stay tuned for the epic interstellar voyage ahead", tweeted Keighley, "and discover what secrets lie beneath these characters". It's another free-to-play title, but more of a tactical RPG. It's going to be dropping on PC, iOS, and Android when it does arrive, but there's no release date as of yet.
GENSHIN IMPACT
Although Keighley hasn't specified what the Genshin Impact section in Opening Night Live will be, we'd be very surprised if it wasn't dedicated to Genshin Impact 3.0 - the incoming major update for the game. The Genshin Impact 3.0 release time has been set for later today / overnight for our European friends, which is perfectly timed for a deep dive at today's showcase.
BORDERLANDS
Another interesting addition to the ONL Line-up is something from the Borderlands franchise. Gearbox's Randy Pitchford is taking to the stage "in the first half" with "something New" - his caps not ours. Although he does also say that the team has "something else running later in the show", which may well be from the publishing arm of Gearbox rather than one of its own IPs. A new Tales from the Borderlands game - aptly named New Tales from the Borderlands - was announced back in April, but a recent Amazon leak seems to suggest the game will launch in October.
15 MINUTES TO GO
That's your 15-minute warning klaxon, so get comfy now!
DYING LIGHT 2: BLOODY TIES
We're also going to get the full reveal of the new Dying Light 2 story DLC known as Bloody Ties. Although the teaser Techland put out doesn't give much away, it looks like it's going to involve a battle arena known as Carnage Hall. Did anyone else initially read that as Carnegie Hall? This is the first story DLC for the game and it's due to be released in September.
UPCOMING GAMES
We're just minutes away from the Opening Night Live kick-off now, so let's sit back and take a walk through all the confirmed new games for 2022 and beyond to get excited about.
A new world from new team with a bold vision eh...
And it's the brand new game from Rockstar Games' legend Leslie Benzies
Lots of concept art for this one, which suggests quite a sci-fi world with sprawling landscapes. They want players to be a big part of the game.
"Everywhere has become more than a video game for us", says Benzies.
And here's the first teaser trailer for the game.
"We're not trying to make a normal game".
Sounds quite metaverse-esque in that developer Build a Rocket Boy will be a place to watch, hang out with friends, and more.
2023 is the launch window for Everywhere, and today was just a "sneak peek".
They aim to get the game into the hands of people "as soon as possible".
Next up is another world premiere, and this time its from Funcom and Legendary - Dune Awakening.
It's an open-world survival MMO, and it's doing it's own thing in comparison to the movies.
Oooh hello. A PlayStation announcement.
DualSense Edge controller - a high performance, ultra-customizable controller. This is the PS5 Pro pad that's been rumored for a while now.
Quite a quiet announcement for that one, so no doubt there will be more info on the blog later.
Next up we've got The Callisto Protocol, and Glenn Schofield himself has taken to the stage with Keighley to demo brand new gameplay for the title - which is due on December 2, 2022.
This little section is giving us a great look at the game's combat and the grav gun that will be utilized in the game. Stealth can be used, but you'll also need to be prepared for tentacles that can be your undoing.
This moved into a section where our hero Jacob Lee is falling down a watery tunnel.
Hexworks Studios is up next with a remake of the 2014 Lords of the Fallen.
Another world premiere for ONL, and it looks pretty impressive visually.
Moving Out 2 is our next reveal, which will launch with online and local co-op in 2023!
The new trailer for Hogwarts Legacy is here, and it's focused on the legacy of Salazar Slytherin. It's also very focused on the dark arts, and what will happen if you wield them.
It also seems that deluxe edition owners will get 72 hours early access to the title.
Randy Pitchford up now to talk about New Tales from the Borderlands, which is dropping in October (as the leak from Amazon suggested).
This is the first time we've seen the game in action since its tease back in April.
October 21 is the official date!
Dying Light 2: Bloody Ties - the DLC that is causing fans some concerns - also got a release date of October 13.
It's still not quite clear what the supposed story DLC will entail though beyond a battle arena though.
A couple games there that honestly went too fast for me to see!
Destiny Lightfall got another trailer, just an hour or so after the big reveal from Bungie itself. It looks badass AF!!
We've got a few stories here out of that:
Sonic Frontiers is up now, and who is that adorable little fella at the start? Genuinely thought they just wiped him out there.
This trailer is definitely doing well to hype up the incoming title
Oh and Sonic Frontiers is coming November 8!
Under the Waves is another world premiere and it looks lush! An underwater single-player adventure game that will be released in 2023 on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
It looks like it's going to have a strong narrative, and just lovely atmosphere overall.
Gotta love how mad every trailer for Goat Simulator 3 is! GOATS WITH CLOTHES FOLKS
Stan S. Stanman and his super mad arms is here to talk us through the highly-anticipated Return to Monkey Island - which finally got a release date of September 19 which just so happens to be International Talk Like a Pirate Day!
We'll be celebrating on GamesRadaaaaaaargh of course.
Subnautica devs, Unknown Worlds, is about to reveal its next game - Moonbreaker - which has had its story written by well-known sci-fi author Brandon Sanderson.
Interestingly it looks super table-top inspired, with its turn-based strategic gameplay carried out by little figures.
Oh wow, it's coming soon too! September 29.
You'll build a crew of 10 characters to create your roster. It's "like Hearthstone meets XCOM", according to the developer.
It's inspired by miniatures of course, and the fact the developers took to painting during the pandemic. You can actually customize your miniatures in the game too - and all the characters in the game were painted using the in-game tools.
That September 29 release date is actually it launching into Early Access, apologies folks.
Friends vs Friends... huh, this looks colourful and mad!
Lies of P, the Soulslike Pinocchio story, just got confirmed as a day one Xbox Game Pass title - another leak that happened earlier today sadly.
I mean, that's no puppet is it! I thought he only wanted to be a real boy... I have questions.
This is our best look at the title's gameplay so far though, with myriad weapons and enemies keeping our hero from reaching Mr. Geppetto - who he just so happens to meet in this trailer.
Launch window confirmed as 2023 for that one.
Do you have FOMG? Fear of missing Gamescom....
I'm sorry, but you can't really get much cooler than a space game introduced by a literal astronaut from the International Space Station!
Another world premiere for this one too, and it's called Stranded: Alien Dawn. It looks to be a survival, farming game, set on an alien planet. It's launching into early access this October.
This one is looking interesting, with its desert landscape and big, badass weapons.
It's from Deck 13, the creators of The Surge series, and will have you fighting gods of some sort.
Atlas Fallen is the title for this, and it looks like Monster Hunter meets Destiny.
Dropping in 2023!
Homeworld 3 gets a lengthy trailer at ONL - signalling the return of the legendary RTS title.
That's a nice trailer for Genshin Impact 3.0 update there, ahead of the drop later today!
From one HoYoVerse to another. A brand new trailer for the intriguing Honkai Star Rail.
As someone not too familiar with that one, I couldn't really discern much from that one!
High on Life from Squanch Games and Justin Roiland (of Rick and Morty fame) gets a trailer that's all about how the anthropomorphic guns work in a boss battle.
I'm not sure how annoying the guns are going to be over a prolonged period if I'm honest, but this dual weilding pistol and grappler gun is an interesting mechanic. Oh also a very angry knife.
Oh wait, the knife turns into the tongue-grapple?? That sounds painful.
What on earth was that Meta Quest 2 game from Owlchemy... I have QUESTIONS
Oh hello Hardspace Shipbreaker coming to consoles on September 20!
The Expanse: A Telltale Series is up next and it's quite a deep exploration into this joint venture between Telltale and Deck Nine (of Life is Strange: Before the Storm and True Colors fame).
A Killer Klowns from Outer Space game is not something I saw coming at all!
Anooooother space game to give Starfield the scaries - Scars Above. Looks pretty cool!
Now that's quite a list of developer accolades isn't it. This is Wyrdsong and it's still pretty mysterious
Anniversary update for Age of Empires 4 coming October 25.
Gotham Knights is getting a reverse delay - it's coming earlier than expected!
Good story trailer here - and there's the new date, October 21. So just four days earlier...
Where Winds Meet gets quite a dramatic trailer with lots of katana fights and seriously dramatic vibes.
Is this secretly the Asian Assassin's Creed we've all been hoping for? Not quite, but close.
Kojima - aka Keighley's bestie - is here to announce he's working on multiple games. AND a podcast, that's coming on September 8 to Spotify.
Park Beyond just got a new trailer and a new 2023 launch window.
Am I selling my car to buy the Mini x Pokemon collab? My partner says no, but watch this space folks.
Warhammer 40K: Darktide got a lengthy trailer there, which was delayed to November 30 in recent weeks.
That was Phantom Hellcat and Crossfire X Babylon there with trailers too, almost missed those in the excitement about Darktide.
Dorfromantik is finally coming to Switch on Sept 29. My absolute go to for zen chill times just went portable.
Outlast: Trials, the multiplayer take on the horrible horror series, is coming to closed beta on October 28.
Teenie little teaser there for The Trials.
Dead Island 2 closing out Opening Night Live with a brand new look and what the GamesRadar team is calling "very leaky zombies".
Loving the mashup of LA Hollywood lifestyle and almost incidental zombie slaying in yet another slammer of a trailer.
It's coming Feb 3 2023 too! AT LAST!
Dambusters has built this version of Dead Island from the ground up, as an action RPG.
With six playable characters, each one has their own unique abilities.
It's set in downtown LA, and is an ode to zombie b-movies of old.
It looks brilliantly silly, with plenty of narrative to go alongside the zombie brain smashing stuff - that seems to be so gory that they've had to censor it for ONL.
Apparently there's an uncensored one on YouTube so look out for that one if you want the full, gory, experience.
And that's a wrap! Another Opening Night Live and a cheeky tease for the Game Awards on December 8 later this year.
