Final Fantasy 7 Revelation and Gears of War: E-Day Headline Gamescom Opening Night Live
Square Enix reveals the trilogy's conclusion while The Coalition confirms a prequel for the Xbox exclusive franchise.
Square Enix showcased new footage and mechanics for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the third installment in the remake trilogy. According to Polygon, game director Naoki Hamaguchi took the stage to highlight the game’s focus on “Weapons,” the original series’ most difficult optional bosses. The trailer featured Cloud and his party facing off against Ruby, Emerald, and Ultima Weapon. These encounters include specific mechanics such as a 20-minute time limit for the Emerald Weapon fight if players lack specific materia.
According to Polygon, Revelation will feature several new systems, including the ability to pilot the Highwind airship across an open world. Players can parachute from the ship to the ground in a seamless transition similar to Fortnite. The game will include locations from both Remake and Rebirth, along with new areas like Wutai. Hamaguchi stated that while the game includes these environments, it will not suffer from the “content bloat” seen in Rebirth.
The trilogy’s conclusion is set for a Spring 2027 release on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. New playable characters include Vincent Valentine and Cid. According to Polygon, Hamaguchi noted that making Cid playable was difficult due to his “jerk” personality in the original game. While some fans have questioned if the trilogy will deviate from the source material’s fate, Hamaguchi confirmed the development team has stuck to their original vision for the series.
Gears of War: E-Day and major studio announcements
The Coalition presented Gears of War: E-Day, which Geoff Keighley emphasized during the showcase as an “Xbox console exclusive.” According to Kotaku, the game serves as a prequel to the main series. The title is scheduled for release on PC and Xbox Series X/S on October 6.
Other significant reveals included:
- Rainbow Six Tactics: A new Ubisoft entry that shifts from a shooter to a tactical squad-based game similar to XCOM. It is slated for release next year, according to Kotaku.
- Ananta: NetEase showcased this anime-inspired sci-fi title. It will launch as a free-to-play game on PC and PS5 on January 15, per Kotaku.
- Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons: Wizards of the Coast revealed this open-world action-adventure featuring Kaatri (voiced by Tricia Helfer) and her patron, Tasha (voiced by Maggie Robertson). The game is slated for 2027.
- Metro 2039: 4A Games shared a new trailer focusing on the effects of war while discussing the studio’s struggles during the Russian invasion.
- Nodusfall: Hoyoverse debuted this dark fantasy title, which features four-player cooperative play and aesthetics reminiscent of FromSoftware games, according to Kotaku.
Release dates and upcoming titles
Several titles showcased at Gamescom Opening Night Live have immediate or near-term release windows:
- Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy: Launches in two days on August 27, according to Kotaku.
- The Blood of Dawnwalker: Releases September 3.
- Silent Hill: Townfall: Scheduled for September 24.
- Control Resonant: Also launching on September 24.
- Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2: Available now, with a Switch 2 launch scheduled for September 29.
- Hitman: World of Assassination: New “Elusive Target” content is free from August 27 to September 26.
- Aion 2: Coming to PC on October 5.
- Rayman Legends Retold: Launches October 1.
- Stage Tour: Releases December 10.
Other games showcased included Game of Thrones: War for Westeros (early 2027), Crazy Taxi: World Tour (2027), and Turok Origins (next spring).