Gamescom 2021: Date, Partners, Predictions, and More

Gamescom 2021 is only a little more than a month away and like E3 2021, it’s going to be an online-only event. While the game conference won’t quite be the same without the big show floor, at least we’ll be able to watch all the exciting trailers and gameplay from the comfort of our homes.

So far, we have a list of Gamescom 2021 attendees. With names like Xbox, Bethesda, Activision, and EA it’s looking like an exciting show already. Additionally, we expect to see plenty of indie games from the Awesome Indies show. Stay tuned for all the latest Gamescom news as we’ll be updating this page with all the info on the virtual games conference up to its start in late August.

When is Gamescom 2021?

Gamescom 2021 will take place from Wednesday, August 25 to Friday 27 August 27.

Gamescom 2021 Schedule

1. Wednesday, August 25 – Gamescom: Opening Night Live

Where is Gamescom?

Like last year Gamescom 2021 will be an online-only event. Gamescom was originally announced as a hybrid digital and physical event earlier in the year. However, the event organizer Koelnmesse later announced it would be all-digital after all. IGN will be carrying all of Gamescom as part of our Summer of Gaming coverage so you’ll be able to catch all the events, showcases, and announcements right on our homepage.

Gamescom 2021 Partners

So far Gamescom has confirmed it will have 19 game studios and publishers in attendance for its virtual gaming conference. On top of that there’s a long list of indie studios including Akupara Games, Draw Distance, and Numskull Games just to name a few. Here’s a list of the big hitters we’ll see at the show so far.

1. 505 Games

2. Activision

3. Aerosoft

4. Assemble Entertainment

5. Astragon Entertainment

6. Bandai Namco Entertainment

7. Bethesda Softworks

8. Electronic Arts

9. Gameevil COM2US Europe

10. Headup

11. Indie Arena Booth

12. Koch Media

13. Next Studios (Tencent)

14. Sega Europe

15. Team17

16. Thunderful Games

17. Ubisoft

18. Wargaming

19. Xbox

Gamescom 2021 Predictions

While we know who will and won’t be at Gamescom, what these companies actually have planned remains a mystery though. That said, we can take an educated guess on what Xbox, Bethesda, and the other attendees might announce based on what they revealed at E3 and any outstanding games we’ve yet to see.

Xbox

Even though we just got two Xbox keynotes at E3, Microsoft still has plenty left to show us. Even a new trailer for the cadre of new games coming to Xbox this and next year would easily fill up a two-hour showcase. We may see more footage of Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5. But what we’d really like to see is more of Contraband and A Plague Tale Reqieum since both games were just revealed with teasers at E3.

Sony

Sony was notably absent from Gamescom’s attendee list so we doubt there will be a PlayStation livestream as an official part of Gamescom. However, Sony could surprise us with a State of Play event ahead of the European games conference. Just days before E3 started, Sony dropped extended gameplay of Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West. We’ve got our fingers crossed to see something from God of War Ragnarok, Lost Judgement, or an entirely new property for PlayStation.

Nintendo

Nintendo wasn’t part of last year’s Gamescom’s lineup and it doesn’t seem like it’ll be showing up this year’s either as it has not appeared on the event list of attendees. It’s a real shame since we were hoping to see more of Metroid Dread and Breath of the Wild sequel. We’ve got our fingers crossed that the company still announces a surprise Nintendo Direct.

Bethesda

Besthesda is basically an extension of Xbox’s own official game studios and it has a huge collection of upcoming games we’re hoping to see again at Gamescom. The last Xbox and Bethesda showcase kicked off with a Starfield teaser trailer, that may have also included an Elder Scrolls 6 easter egg, and we’re hoping to see more footage of the game soon. Redfall, the co-op vampire hunting game, could be another Bethesda game will see at Gamescom, too.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft is one of the major game publishers that have announced its Gamescom attendance. We’re likely to see some Far Cry 6 gameplay and hopefully more details about the game’s DLC that will let you play as the series’ villains. Hopefully, there will also be more footage of the upcoming Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, the Avatar game we never thought we’d see.

Summer of Gaming

IGN’s season-long Summer of Gaming event will of course be serving up all the hot Gamescom announcements. During the week of Gamescom, come to IGN for exclusive announcements and content you won’t see anywhere else.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Kevin Lee is IGN’s SEO Updates Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

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