Gamescom Opening Night Smashes Records, Proving People Still Fucking Love Trailers (and so do i)
Geoff Keighley’s Gamescom Opening Night Live has become a staple of the gaming calendar, and this year, it seems damn near everyone tuned in to watch. The showcase absolutely shattered its previous records, pulling in over 2 million peak live viewers for the first time. That’s a massive 60% increase from last year, a number fueled by some blockbuster reveals and the morbid curiosity of an entire industry.
Credit: Resident Evil Requiem
The 800-Pound Gorilla in the Room
The show was packed with a mix of predictable heavy hitters and some genuine surprises. The world premiere of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was, of course, a major moment. Set in a grim 2035, it promises fresh cooperative story modes and a new PvE experience called “Endgame” when it launches on November 14. It’s a slick, explosive affair that looked… well, it looked like a modern Call of Duty. It is what it is. The game will sell millions regardless of how far it’s strayed from its roots, and I’ll admit, the co-op campaign is a genuinely nice addition, even though I won’t play the game personally.
…And Everything Else on the Docket
Thankfully, the rest of the show had some real substance. Horror fans got a proper treat with the chilling debut of Resident Evil: Requiem, which looks to be taking the series back to its tense, psychological roots. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight brought some much-needed charm, promising a brick-filled Gotham adventure.
The night ended on a high note with a total surprise: Black Myth: Zhong Kui, a spiritual follow-up to the breakout hit Wukong. The trailer was a gorgeous blast of Chinese mythology, some humor, and amazing visuals that immediately reminded everyone what creative, exciting games can look like.
By the Numbers
The massive viewership jump wasn't a fluke. The showcase was broadcast on over 1,100 channels, a significant increase from last year's 700. This helped push the average audience to 1.8 million concurrent viewers, a 67% year-over-year surge. The growth was global, too, with Russian-language streams joining English, Spanish, German, and French in hitting six-figure viewership numbers.
Even with these monster numbers, Keighley's show still couldn't claim the top spot for the year. It landed in sixth place for gaming showcases, just shy of a Sony State of Play from June. The undisputed king remains Nintendo, whose Switch 2 reveal Direct pulled in an almost unbelievable 6.3 million peak viewers, a throne no one is likely to challenge anytime soon.
The success of Opening Night Live is undeniable. It proves there’s still a massive, hungry audience for these big, bombastic showcases. It just also serves as a stark reminder that sometimes the biggest games are the ones that leave you feeling the most empty.