The month of August has always been synonymous with Gamescom for the gaming community. This year, the mega-event, which takes place in Cologne, Germany, will stretch from August 23 to 27, with an opening night feature planned for the evening of August 22.
A celebration of everything gaming, Gamescom is the place to be if you want to try out upcoming games, learn about new releases, and interact directly with the developers. The whole event takes the form of an expo, and fans can purchase tickets to attend various conferences and visit the booths set up by various publishers. Community interaction is also a significant part of Gamescom as like-minded individuals from all around the world descend upon Cologne for a week of excitement and gaming.
Being the last gaming expo of the summer, Gamescom is famous for announcing new releases. However, developers and publishers also like to showcase playable demos while fans get in-depth news about the upcoming holiday releases. Unfortunately, Sony has already announced its decision to stay away from Gamescom 2023, but with numerous other titles to choose from, we made a list of what seems most exciting!
Our top picks for Gamescom 2023
Holiday 2023 is shaping up to be a massively busy period for game releases. There are also quite a few new IPs and sequels lined up that fans are eager to know more about. While Gamescom will undoubtedly shed more light on such titles, we decided to curate a list of games you must keep your eye on during the 2023 event.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
A sequel to the Stalker series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a highly anticipated first-person shooter developed by Ukranian developer GSC Game World. Like previous Stalker games, Heart of Chornobyl will allow us to explore the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and craft our own story as we meet various factions and hunt down new artifacts. Moreover, the game, which will utilize the frankly breathtaking Unreal Engine 5, also promises new variants of enemies and jaw-dropping locales.
Unfortunately, Heart of Chornobyl faced quite a few obstacles during its development, with the Russo-Ukraine conflict being one of the major culprits behind the delay. However, a recent leak on Plaion store’s website has hinted at a December 2023 release. Nevertheless, Gamescom 2023 will have a playable demo of Heart of Chornobyl, and fans can even expect some confirmed news about its release.
Black Myth: Wukong
Based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, Black Myth: Wukong is an upcoming role-playing game steeped in Chinese lore and mythology. While the game has us playing as the “Destined One,” determined to find the truth behind an ancient Chinese legend, it features incredibly flashy combat and complex boss fights. Moreover, Black Myth: Wukong is another IP that utilizes Unreal Engine 5, allowing developers to create genuinely jaw-dropping visuals.
Developer Game Science introduced the IP back in August 2023, and since then, they have released regular updates on the development process. Recently, they revealed a full hands-on preview, which cemented the game as a souls-like and got players excited for more. Well, with a 2024 release date on the cards, Black Myth: Wukong will have a playable demo at Gamescom 2023, and fans can even expect to get an in-depth look into the game.
Alan Wake 2
One of the most-anticipated horror games of 2023, Alan Wake 2, will put us back into the shoes of the author as we deal with his nightmarish creations. While the game primarily deals with a string of ritualistic murders in Bright Falls, Washington, we will get to play as both horror author Alan Wake and Saga Anderson, an FBI agent who travels to Bright Falls hoping to solve the murders. A recent gameplay trailer even featured Saga Anderson fighting a cultist, and we are happy to report that the game will come with Alan Wake’s signature light and darkness feature.
Although Alan Wake 2 has gone gold, the development team recently announced a delay of ten days in order to avoid October’s cluttered release schedule. Hence, with an October 27, 2023 release date, Alan Wake 2 will be at Gamescom, and fans can expect a playable demo as well as a detailed story trailer.
Tekken 8
While Mortal Kombat 1 has a September 2023 and will be present in Gamescom 2023, we decided to focus on Tekken 8, the other fighting heavyweight from Bandai Namco. Even though Tekken has an extremely high ceiling, it attracts millions of players every year, and the publisher has promised to make Tekken 8 even more special. In fact, Bandai Namco has been teasing new characters for quite some time now, and while there is a promise of “next-gen graphics,” a recent datamine revealed that the game will have several interesting new intros.
Bandai Namco claims that the Tekken franchise is entering a new “era,” and recent reports have hinted at a release date before spring 2024. Likewise, fighting game fans visiting Gamescom 2023 have an opportunity to experience Tekken 8 in all its glory through the playable demo, and we even expect new roster announcements from the devs.
Crimson Desert
Crimson Desert is an upcoming medieval role-playing game from developer Pearl Abyss. The game was introduced through a leaked gameplay video back in 2021, and there were several rumors about a confirmed Winter 2021 release. However, fans were left completely disappointed when the developers announced an indefinite delay in July of the same year.
Although Crimson Desert was buried in development hell, it was difficult for fans to forget the trailer, which showed off several characters as well as the beautifully detailed continent of Pywel. However, we are happy to report that the project has been revived, and the CEO of Pearl Abyss, Jin-Young Heo, confirmed that Crimson Desert will have a full-blown trailer at Gamescom 2023. Still, with the release date yet to be determined, players will have to keep their excitement in check for a little longer before they can explore Pywel on their own.
While these are our chosen picks for Gamescom 2023, fans visiting the expo will be able to experience numerous other titles, including Payday 3, Persona 3 Reload, Mortal Kombat 1, and Lords of the Fallen, among others. Meanwhile, you can click here to learn more about the preload dates and system requirements for Bethesda’s upcoming RPG, Starfield.
