Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 Start Time Announced

Europe’s biggest video game convention returns with a two hour showcase featuring live music and teased reveals.

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 Sets Start Time and Watch Guide

Gamescom Opening Night Live returns to Koelnmesse Hall 1 in Cologne on August 19. The show starts at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET and runs for two hours, with a half hour pre-show at 10:30 AM PT / 1:30 PM ET. Streams will be available on The Game Awards channels on YouTube and Twitch as well as the official Gamescom website.

Among the teased appearances are three Xbox titles, including what would be the first gameplay reveal of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Music on the ONL stage will be performed live by Lorien Testard and Alice Duport-Percier of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, while Eefje sjokz Depoortere will co-host the event.

The event sits at the center of a crowded fall gaming season, using a two hour format and live performances to transform a trailer-heavy cadence into an experience fans can remember. It signals how publishers and platforms seek to convert online hype into a shared moment that travels beyond screens.

At the same time, the format tests producers on pacing and credibility. If the big reveals underdeliver or if the musical interludes feel out of place, the show can backfire, shaping early perceptions of the season before a single game hits the shelf.

Highlights

Further updates are expected as on-site and online audiences converge in Cologne.