Gamescom returns in 2022 with the first in-person presentation in years.
For those not planning to visit Cologne in person, as before, there are a number of streaming announcements you can follow from home.
As for what to expect, it’s similar to last year – there’s a main stream hosted by Geoff Keighley of Game Awards fame, an Xbox showcase, a Destiny 2 reveal, and a Future Games Show offer.
If you have followed our annual report Gamescom Schedule Guide from previous years, as well as date and time details, we provide basic information so you know what to expect in advance – but as always there are bound to be a few surprise announcements along the way .
On this page:
The Gamescom 2022 conference program at a glance
If you’re looking to tune in to the show’s biggest events, be sure to be free on Tuesday for Opening Night Live. Beyond that, there is something every day until the weekend.
Here’s when each gamescom 2022 conference is due to go live at a glance:
| Gamescom 2022 Schedule | Conference Date (UK) | UK Time (BST) | EU team (CEST) | US East Coast Time (EDT) | US West Coast Time (PDT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destiny 2 Showcase | Tuesday August 23 | 17:00 | 6:00 p.m. | 12:00 | 09:00 |
| Opening Night Live | Tuesday August 23 | 19:00 | 20:00 | 14:00 | 11:00 |
| Future Games Fair | Wednesday August 24 | 19:00 | 20:00 | 14:00 | 11:00 |
| Xbox gamescom 2022 | Thursday August 25 | 13:00 | 14:00 | 08:00 | 05:00 |
| Superb showcase of India | Friday August 26 | 4:30 p.m. | 17:30 | 11:30 a.m. | 08:30 |
One by one, here are the top streams to catch during gamescom week:
Destiny 2 Showcase times – Tuesday, August 23
- UK: 5:00 p.m. (BST)
- Europe: 6:00 p.m. (EST)
- US East Coast: 12 p.m. (EDT)
- United States West Coast: 9:00 a.m. (PDT)
The unofficial week-long gamescom stream launch is Bungie’s showcase of Destiny 2’s sequel.
The title revealed will be the next expansion, titled Lightfall, which is teased to focus on the story’s newly emerged threat, The Witness.
We should also find out how Bungie will keep us busy until then – including the reveal and immediate release of Season 18.
Finally, be aware that there’s a pre-show starting an hour earlier – details on what’s inside have yet to be confirmed, but be aware that the main reveals will begin at these times. above.
Gamescom 2022 Opening Night Live Showtimes – Tuesday 23rd August
- UK: 7pm (BST)
- Europe: 8 p.m. (EST)
- US East Coast: 2 p.m. (EDT)
- United States West Coast: 11:00 a.m. (PDT)
This year’s gamescom headliner will feature over 30 matches in two hours hosted by The Game Awards’ Geoff Keighley.
Confirmed screenings include another look at Hogwarts Legacy, new gameplay for The Callisto Protocol, Telltale’s The Expanse game, Justin Roiland’s Goat Simulator 3 and High on Life, and new trailers for Sonic Frontiers and Return to Monkey Island. There’s also a new sci-fi strategy game announcement from Unknown Worlds.
No signs of a pre-show yet – so unless confirmed otherwise, tune into the main show at the above times.
Future Games Times – Wednesday, August 24
- UK: 7pm (BST)
- Europe: 8 p.m. (EST)
- US East Coast: 2 p.m. (EDT)
- United States West Coast: 11:00 a.m. (PDT)
Hosted by God of War voice actors Christopher Judge and Danielle Bisutti, the Future Games Show returns for another gamescom to showcase over 50 games across PC and consoles.
What can we expect? We know that there is “exclusive content” for Goat Simulator 3 and are taking a closer look at The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me and Layers of Fears, as well as other topics such as Deliver Us Mars, A Little to the Left, The Last Case by Benedict Fox, Stray Blade and The Chant.
Xbox gamescom 2022 broadcast times – Thursday, August 25
- UK: 1pm to 7pm (BST)
- Europe: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. (CEST)
- US East Coast: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (EDT)
- United States West Coast: 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. (PDT)
In a slightly more casual take on a publisher showcase, we’ve got a six-hour stream on the biggest games coming to Xbox over the next year.
The following (copied verbatium from Microsoft) is what we can expect, along with new gameplay and developer interviews as part of the preview for select titles:
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios Publishing)
- Gunfire Reborn (Duoyi Games / 505 Games)
- Sea of Thieves (Rare Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Lies of P (Neowiz)
- High On Life (Squanch Games)
- Grounding (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
- Penance (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
- A Plague Tale: Requiem (Asobo Studio/Focus Entertainment)
- Minecraft Legends (Mojang Studios, Blackbird Interactive/Xbox Game Studios)
- Lana’s Planet (Wishfully / Thunderful)
- Age of Empires IV (Relic Entertainment, World’s Edge / Xbox Game Studios)
There might be a few more surprises beyond that, of course – but it’s best to temper expectations. We’ll be on the lookout for more Flight Simulator news though.
Awesome Indies Showcase Times – Friday, August 26
- UK: 4:30 p.m. (Paris time)
- Europe: 5:30 p.m. (EST)
- US East Coast: 11:30 a.m. (EDT)
- United States West Coast: 8:30 a.m. (PDT)
Returning for another year, this is an independent Gamescom showcase created in conjunction with IGN.
Whether it will swap the sprawling Koelnmesse convention halls in Cologne for Venice Beach in Los Angeles remains to be seen – but we’re expecting over 40 games and “exclusive trailers, unique gameplay and arrangement”.
Here’s last year’s show for a taste of what to expect:
What about gamescom 2022 plans from other publishers?
For a fifth year in a row (yes, we counted), there’s no dedicated storefront from PlayStation, a publisher that was once a big supporter of Gamescom in previous console generations.
Also missing is Nintendo, which also started doing more with gamescom before the pandemic. It tends to do its own streams this time of year anyway – and with a dedicated Splatoon 3 Direct recently, don’t expect anything beyond that.
Activision and Take-Two are also not participating, but Ubisoft, Bandai Namco and Embracer will have a presence at the show.
To risk sounding like a broken record, don’t expect much from a publisher at Gamescom this year – but hopefully we’ll still get an interesting reveal or two.
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