Gamescom 2021 kicked it into high gear on Wednesday with updates on all the most anticipated upcoming games and a sneak peek at what happens beyond 2021. The headliner event of the convention is none other than Opening Night Live (ONL), hosted by Geoff Keighley.
ONL was filled with a ton of announcements, trailers, and updates for some of the best upcoming Xbox games and more, and comes the day after the less exciting (but still important) Xbox Gamescom 2021 event. ONL brought out some of the big guns for today's event, and it was extremely easy to miss something. We've compiled every announcement from Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2021 to ensure you didn't miss a thing.
Games shown off during Opening Night Live can arrive on practically every modern gaming platform, including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, Switch, and more. Many of these games may end up being some of the best Xbox games (or best games in general) when they release.
What are the major announcements from the Opening Night Live Gamescom 2021 event?
ONL, being the flagship stream of Gamescom 2021, was filled with some of the biggest announcements and news we can expect from the entirety of the event, from the biggest cross-platforms games to surprise appearances from Xbox Game Studios and Microsoft.
Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite was mysteriously missing from Xbox's Gamescom 2021 event, but that's because the flagship FPS made an appearance during Opening Night Live. First off, Halo Infinite scored a new cinematic trailer for Season 1 of its free-to-play multiplayer. More importantly, however, it finally confirmed that Halo Infinite officially releases on Dec. 8, 2021.
Halo Infinite's campaign and multiplayer will release simultaneously, but, unfortunately, Halo Infinite will be missing campaign co-op and Forge custom games at launch. If you're interested in Halo Infinite, be sure to read our guide on preordering Halo Infinite ahead of its release.
Halo Infinite represents the next chapter of Halo's storied journey, and everything we've seen from 343 Industries recently shows that Halo Infinite has what it takes to be an incredible game filled with wonder, adventure, and more.
Halo Infinite Limited Edition Xbox Series X & Elite Controller
Immediately after dominating Opening Night Live with its release date announcement, we got another reveal: two new pieces of limited edition Xbox hardware, both of which look absolutely incredible. Halo Infinite is getting a Limited Edition Xbox Series X and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, with both available for preorder later today before their release later this year. The Xbox Series X bundle that includes the game, a Limited Edition Xbox Wireless Controller, and the stunning custom console.
The standalone limited edition controller is a Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, so it's a premium controller that has been decked out in Master Chief's legendary colors. It's expected for both limited edition hardware options to have low availability, so be sure to preorder as soon as possible. Both the Halo Infinite Limited Edition Xbox Series X and Halo Infinite Limited Edition Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 are expected to release on Nov. 15, 2022.
Microsoft honors two decades of Xbox and Halo with a limited-edition Halo Infinite black and gold design of its flagship Xbox Series X console.
Microsoft has shaken up its best-in-class Xbox controller with a new Master Chief-themed design while retaining all the competitive-ready features that made this gamepad so great.
Saints Row
The Saints Row franchise is infamous for being the more chaotic and silly counterpart to Grand Theft Auto. However, in recent years, the Saints Row games have fallen out of favor as they drift farther from what made them special in the first place. Deep Silver and Volition is seeking to rectify this reality with the announcement of a Saints Row reboot game during Gamescom 2021.
The Saints Row reboot game seeks to take the franchise back to its roots, which will likely make fans of older Saints Row titles excited. The Saints Row reboot is available for preorder now, and is coming to Xbox, PlayStation, and PC on Feb. 25, 2022, and will be full to the brim of over-the-top violence.
Marvel's Midnight Suns
Marvel's Midnight Suns is an all-new game from Firaxis, the creators of XCOM, that explores the story of a brand-new customizable superhero. Midnight Suns is a tactical RPG, but we unfortunately don't have a ton of details on gameplay or what the final product will look like (although we do know it won't just be another XCOM). We do know that the cast is massive, featuring popular Marvel characters like Iron Man, Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange, and more.
Marvel's Midnight Suns is set to release sometime in March 2022, and we'll be able to see more gameplay for the game in the coming months.
Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West is one of the most hotly anticipated PlayStation exclusive games, and was originally slated for release in 2021. However, rumors of a delay were confirmed today during the Opening Night Live event. Horizon Forbidden West is now releasing on Feb. 18, 2022, with preorders set to open on Sept. 2.
This delay will give Guerrilla Games the time they need to polish the game, and will hopefully lead Horizon Forbidden West to dominate our list of best PS5 games when it releases early next year.
Death Stranding Director's Cut
Death Stranding is one of the more unique games for PlayStation and PC, and Hideo Kojima is expanding upon his original vision with a ton of new content, quality-of-life improvements, and more. At Gamescom, Death Stranding Director's Cut got an extended preview trailer showcasing all the major additions and changes included in the new edition of the game.
There's a lot to unpack in the trailer, and players who enjoyed the interesting blend of experiences that Death Stranding offered when it initially released may find plenty of reasons to revisit the game again when it releases on Sept. 24, 2021.
Call of Duty: Vanguard
A new Call of Duty comes around every year, and 2021 is bringing us Call of Duty: Vanguard. During Opening Night Live, Activision showed nearly 10 minutes of uninterrupted gameplay footage from its single-player campaign, showcasing how the new title seeks to differentiate itself from the increasingly competitive first-person shooter genre.
Our Call of Duty: Vanguard preview will tell you everything you need to know right now about the upcoming entry in the long-running franchise. The game revisits WWII where many other games have tread before, but promises to tell a new story this time around with less of a focus on large-scale battles. Call of Duty: Vanguard officially releases on Nov. 5, 2021.
Splitgate
Splitgate is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter that has absolutely blown up in open beta thanks to its Halo-esque combat and Portal-like gameplay mechanics. On Wednesday, Splitgate announced that its Open Beta will continue with Season 0, a free update that's now available to players.
Season 0 will add a ton of new content to Splitgate, most notably a new Battle Pass that can be purchased and completed for a wide variety of in-game rewards. There's also a new close combat game mode and a slick looking map.
What is every announcement from the Opening Night Live Gamescom 2021 event?
While the biggest announcements from Opening Night Live are liable to capture headlines everywhere, there was plenty of awesome news and reveals during the show that might otherwise slip between the cracks. Fortunately, we captured every announcement during Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2021 and put them all in one place: here.
Saints Row reboot reveal trailer
Marvel's Midnight Suns reveal trailer
Call of Duty: Vanguard gameplay trailer
Halo Infinite multiplayer cinematic & release date
Halo Infinite Limited Edition Xbox Elite Controller reveal
Halo Infinite Limited Edition Xbox Series X reveal
Cult of the Lamb trailer
Midnight Fight Express trailer
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge trailer
Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles character trailer
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania trailer
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania Morgana character reveal
Splitgate Season 0 trailer
Rider's Republic Open Beta trailer
Century: Age of Ashes
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga trailer
SYNCED: Off Planet trailer
The Outlast Trials trailer
DokeV gameplay trailer
Jurassic World Evolution 2 trailer
Far Cry 6 story trailer
Vampire: The Masquerade Blood Hunt trailer
Park Beyond reveal trailer
JETT: The Far Shore trailer
Horizon Forbidden West release date
New World trailer
Marvel Future Revolution launch trailer
Tales of Luminaria mobile reveal trailer
Jumanji: The Curse Returns trailer
Lost Judgement
Oberhasli announcement
Fall Guys Jungle Book trailer
Replaced original soundtrack trailer
Age of Empires IV gameplay trailer
Valheim Hearth & Home Update trailer
Crossfire X multiplayer trailer
World of Tanks
Genshin Impact Aloy trailer
Sifu release date trailer
Death Stranding Director's Cut preview trailer
