Gamescom 2017: What To Expect
Europe’s Largest Video Games Show
Although E3 opened its doors to the public in June, Germany’s Gamescom has been doing so for years. What’s more, it has become something of a cosplay magnet in the last few.
You’re just as likely to bump into a fan dressed as Pikachu as an industry type at Gamescom.
However, for us, it’s a great place to get hands-on with the triple-A titles coming out for Christmas and beyond. We’ll be attending and bringing you the latest previews and news on all the biggest games throughout.
So here’s our guide to the games and hardware announcements that we expect to see at Gamescom 2017.
What is Gamescom?
Gamescom started in 2009 and is held annually at the Koelnmesse convention centre in Cologne, Germany. It generally runs in mid to late-August.
The first day this year (Tuesday 22 August) will be for trade and media only, the show will then open to the public from Wednesday 23 August and ran until Saturday 26 August.
Some companies will hold press conferences and showcases on the Monday ahead of the show opening. These have shrunk in number over the years but there are still a couple of major ones.
Gamescom 2017: Opening Hours
All times are listed in Central European Summer Time (CEST), as relevant to local time in Cologne.
For trade visitors
• Tuesday 22 August – 9am to 7pm (business centre and public halls)
• Wednesday 23 August – 9am to 8pm (business centre and public halls)
• Thursday 24 August – 9am to 8pm (business centre and public halls)
• Friday 25 August – 9am to 8pm (public halls only)
• Saturday 26 August – 9am to 8pm (public halls only)
For public attendees
• Wednesday 23 August – 10am to 8pm (public halls only)
• Thursday 24 August – 10am to 8pm (public halls only)
• Friday 25 August – 9am to 8pm (public halls only)
• Saturday 26 August – 9am to 8pm (public halls only)
Gamescom 2017: Press Conferences
There are only a couple of major press conferences planned for the show this year, one by Electronic Arts, the other by Nvidia. There is also a special Xbox at Gamescom show on the Sunday before, a Blizzard livestream event and Nintendo will be hosting livestream broadcasts throughout. Here are the details:
Electronic Arts Gamescom 2017 Press Conference Details
EA is holding its EA Live Show keynote on Monday 21 August at 6.30pm CEST – so 5.30pm BST, 9.30am PDT. There will be a livestream to follow online, which will be hosted at EA.com.
It is expected to show all-new footage of Star Wars Battlefront II, Need for Speed Payback, FIFA 18 and more.
Nvidia Gamescom 2017 Press Conference Details
As a bit of a first, Nvidia is hosting a special event where it will provide hands-on experiences for the press of some top PC games. It also kicks off with a “stage show” that will be livestreamed. That will start at 11am CEST – so 10am BST, 2am PDT.
Xbox Gamescom 2017 Press Conference Details
Microsoft won’t be holding a specific press conference at this year’s show, but it will have an Xbox @ Gamescom Live broadcast online on Sunday 20 August. It starts at 9pm CEST – 8pm BST, 12pm PDT – and will feature games, news and developer interviews. You’ll be able to watch it on the Xbox Wire website.
Nintendo Gamescom 2017 Press Conference Details
There’s no press conference as such, but Nintendo will stream several live shows throughout Gamescom 2017 on its European YouTube channel.
On Wednesday 23 August, at 3pm CEST – 2pm BST, 6am PDT – it will host a Super Mario Odyssey gameplay stream with a developer talk.
On Thursday 24 August, at 12pm CEST – 11am BST, 3am PDT – it will turns its attention to Metroid: Samus Returns for the 3DS.
There will also be live shows and demonstrations of other Nintendo games broadcast on other days. A full schedule will be available closer the time.
Blizzard Gamescom 2017 Press Conference Details
Blizzard will make some announcements about World of Warcraft, Hearthstone and other game updates via a livestream on Wednesday 23 August at 6pm CEST – 5pm BST, 9am PDT. There will also be a preview stream on Monday 21 August at the same time.