You could see the excitement on the face of Geoff Keighley when he mounted the stage for the Gamescom 2023 Opening Night Live (ONL) show. However, that excitement was briefly interrupted when a GTA 6 fan mounted the stage and tried to share the microphone with Keighley saying “I want to play GTA 6”.
Keighley was visibly rattled by the rude interruption and he could not hide his disgust. The interruption happened just when he was about to make a big announcement about Starfield right after a new trailer of the game was revealed.
ALSO READ: Atari 2600+ Is A Resurrection Of The Classic Console, Launches With Backward Compatibility
“Really disappointed,” Keighley said after the intruder was bundled off the stage. “Actually, so disappointing because this is such a special night for so many developers. It’s really disappointing to see someone act that way. But we are gonna move right on with the show. We’ve got a lot of great games to show you.”
It took Keighley close to a minute to regain his composure and continue with the show. He kept making reference to how disappointed he was. The gatecrasher’s departure was accompanied by a booing crowd. There are reports that the intruder is notorious for stage invasion.
The attempt by the GTA 6 fan to crash Gamescom ONL is not new in the recent history of video game shows. Last year during the Games Award, a teenager walked up the stage when the Game of the Year winners were called up the stage.
The GTA 6 fan is probably not the only one in the arena that was frustrated with experiencing the upcoming game through rumors and leaks—albeit he was the only one insensitive enough to try to ruin an entire night.
The GTA 6 fan failed to scratch Gamescom 2023 ONL presentations
Leading up to Gamescom 2023, there was a pre-show hosted by Kyle Bosman where interesting games were revealed starting from Streets of Rogue 2 which will come to Steam in 2024. The pre-show reveal was dominated by games from Indie developers. There were also interviews with interesting personalities including Keighley. Other games announced at the preshow include:
- Mandragora (2024)
- Lysfanga: The time shift warrior (early 2024)
- Endzone 2 (early access Spring 2024)
- Bulletstorm VR
- FaeFarm (September 8)
- The 7th Guest VR (October 19th)
- Post Trauma (Spring 2024)
- War Hammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin (Pre-order 17 November)
- Delta Force
- Homeworld 3 (February 2024)
Keighley mounted the stage bustling with a smile and received a loud applause. Those who are familiar with Gamescom know that it is not really the show for exclusive announcements. It is really a show where fans get to know more about games that have been previously revealed or showcased in other events. Nevertheless, there were still some exclusive reveals—and that is where we will our focus will be.
ALSO READ: Summer Game Fest 2023 Slammed… But Should Geoff Keighley Take The Blame?
Little Nightmares 3
The first 2 installments in the Little Nightmares franchise were both revealed at Gamescom and the third is on the way and keeps to that tradition. Little Nightmares 3 is a creation from Bandai Namco and Supermassive Games and will feature two new characters who will have to work together to escape the void they found themselves.
After the trailer reveal, Lucas Roussel, executive producer at Bandai Namco Europe, and Coralie Feniello, producer at Bandai Namco Entertainment were on stage to discuss the upcoming game. Little Nightmares 3 is scheduled for 2024 release.
“As you have seen, we have two characters but now you have two players as well so you will be able to play in single-player or online co-op if you want to face your childhood fears with your friend,” Feniello said. “Our two new characters are known and unknown. They are trapped in a place that we call the Spiral…and they have to work together.”
In addition to revealing Little Nightmares 3, Roussel also announced that the franchise will launch a podcast series called The Sounds of Nightmares. “It is composed of six episodes and we are releasing the first two episodes tonight,” said Roussel.
Fans of the game interested in the podcast should visit thesoundsofnightmares.com to check it out.
Black Myth: Wukong
Fans of Black Myth: Wukong also got a gameplay reveal of the upcoming game from the Chinese video game studio Game Science. The game is based on the classic 16th-century novel, Journey to the West. The action RPG will have Monkey King as the main protagonist, armed with his symbolic magical rod.
Rabel Moon
Many may have wondered whether Gamescom 2023 has become a stage for movie promotion when the famous movie director Zack Snyder stepped on stage. In addition to promoting his upcoming movie called Rebel Moon, Snyder revealed that the movie will have a game.
“We are also super excited to reveal that we are making a video game for Rebel Moon, and the game we are developing with Super Evil Megacorp…will expand the Rebel Moon universe,” Snyder said. “It [the game] takes place right after the events of the two movies.”
ALSO READ: Xbox Games Showcase 2023 Shows Why They Lost Console War To PlayStation
It is really interesting to see how movies and games have become interwoven. Previously, what we experienced was games getting a movie adaptation and vice versa. However, a world where games will be an extension of movies and vice versa will be really interesting.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Although it was already revealed that Modern Warfare 3 will launch on November 10, a new 10 minutes of gameplay was revealed at Gamescom 2023 ONL. David Swenson, creative director at Sledgehammer Games was also on stage to highlight some of the new features that will be coming to the game.
Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon
An update to Sonic Frontiers was announced right after Sonic Superstars. The new free update will be available on September 28 on PS5|PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
An update to Phantom Liberty was announced and it will bring a lot of cool features to the game including the ability to shoot while driving. Yulia Pryimak, gameplay designer at CD Projekt Red appeared on stage to talk about some of the updates that will come to the game.
“We’ve prepared a major overhaul of the gameplay experience,” Pryimak said. “With our absolutely designed perk system, we prepared many cool playstyles and many cool abilities to try out. For example, deflecting bullets with your Kitana. Vehicle combat is a massive addition. Players will now be able to shoot their guns while driving.”
Gamescom Green Studio of the Year
Gamescom Green Studio Award is an initiative in partnership with the United Nations that encourages studios to care about the environment. This can be done by making games that create awareness about the environment or consoles that consume less energy. Lisa Pak, project lead at Playing for the Planet, was given the opportunity to present the award.
ALSO READ: PlayStation Showcase 2023: Biggest Games And Unexpected Hardware Announcements
“Through Playing for the Planet, United Nations has been working with the games industry to inspire millions of players around the world to learn more about their environment and to take actions that benefit the planet,” Pak said.
This year’s Green Studio of the Year award searched for “bold, system-changing, innovative, and creative ways to tackle climate crisis”. Nominees for this year’s award, based on companies that submitted applications were Frontier, Ubisoft, and Xbox. Eventually, Xbox was announced as the winner of the award.
Mortal Kombat 1
Ed Boon, Chief creative officer at Netherealm Studios, met Keighley again on stage. The first time they met in the same manner was at the Summer Game Fest where Mortal Kombat 1 was first revealed. As with his visits, ‘The Rulers of Outworld’ trailer was unleashed featuring Sindel, Raiden, and General Shao (Kahn) as playable characters while Motaro and Shunjiko will join the roster of Kameo characters.
Game Awards
At the tail end of Gamescom 2023 ONL, Keighley announced that the Game Awards will return this year and the date for the event has been scheduled for Thursday, December 7. The Game Award is considered the Oscar of video games and all the categories are tightly contested.
With so many great games released this year, which game do you think stands the best chance of winning the Game of the Year? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
Remember to share and bookmark this website to stay up to date on all the hottest news in the gaming industry.
