Gamescom 2025 Day 1 Roundup
Gamescom 2025, in Cologne, Germany, is now in full swing and runs until Aug. 24. Yesterday was predominantly aimed at trade and media visitors, meaning only a limited number of the general public got to experience the show. For those who missed the first day, we’ve covered the main reveals below.
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Game Trailers
Every video game expo has a few surprises up its sleeve and gamescom 2025 is no different. Here are the most exciting trailers showcased during the event so far.
A new Onimusha: Way of the Sword trailer was debuted as part of Opening Night Live, but Day 1 featured a chat with Eric Yang, Head of Where Winds Meet, the game’s publisher.
He revealed that the game’s setting of the Five Dynasties and 10 States time period is even a niche subject for Chinese players, and as part of the era’s authenticity, the game uses a time system where hours are represented by animals instead of numbers.
Another surprise wasn’t a new trailer for upcoming sci-fi Pragmata, but rather a repeat of its previous First Contact trailer. However, Day 1 did come with a closer look at the game’s hacking aspect. Players control both Hugh, an astronaut, and Diana, an android, with the latter being able to hack into pretty much anything.
Importantly, players will need to complete the hacking minigame before they can attack an enemy; whether this adds tension or tedium remains to be seen.
Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth entry into the undead franchise, received a new trailer at gamescom this year, but also finally gave people a chance to play a hands-on demo. This took the form of a small hospital area, where protagonist Grace has to hide from and avoid a grotesque “stalker” – a lanky, lumbering female creature with talons and elongated limbs.
Its hunting behavior also had shades of Alien Isolation, so players can expect to be suitably stressed-out when the game launches in February next year.
Team17, the veteran studio behind multiple classic games, revealed Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, a tactical shooter set during the Vietnam War. It promises massive 50 vs 50 PVP battles, as well a level of realism to the weapons and environments that should accurately recreate jungle warfare from the 1950s to the 1970s. It’s slated for release some time in 2026.
The best bowl cut in video game history got its world premiere during the Future Games Show event, as the 1348 Ex Voto trailer debuted. Set in 14th century Italy, it involves a young knight errant, Aeta, as she searches for Bianca, who the developers Sedleo euphemistically call “her closest one” because apparently lesbians didn’t exist back then.
Other Major Announcements
Fans of relentless shooters are in for a treat as Black Ops 7 had more details revealed; most notably that it’s set in 2035 and stars David Mason as the main character. This marks his return to the franchise for the first time since Black Ops 2.
Good news for any Brummies reading this: God Save Birmingham also got highlighted. This is a zombie game set in the Middle Ages. Despite its setting, it’s made by a Korean studio, Ocean Drive, who wanted to pick a location that the small team could manage to accurately represent, with Birmingham piquing their interest.
One gameplay feature that should help the game stand out even more in a crowded market is procedural animation that brings hordes of zombies to undead life, rather than canned animation that can break immersion.
Randy Pitchford and his violently colorful short appeared at gamescom this year, where the Gearbox CEO spoke about Borderlands 4, which largely involved bigging up the playable Vault Hunter characters, including Harlo, who has various gadgets related to gravity control.
He also touched on the value of games, in terms of trying to make sure players feel like they get their money’s worth in terms of content. He also openly invited people to continue to engage with him on X, which almost certainly isn’t a bad idea.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on eneba’s live coverage of gamescom 2025, and our other roundups of the event.
