How to watch Gamescom: Opening Night Live – plus start time and what to expect

Join Geoff Keighley for an evening of trailers and hype at Gamescom Opening Night Live.

By Rob Leane

Published: Wednesday, 25 August 2021 at 12:00 am

The Gamescom 2021 schedule has begun, and tonight the official Opening Night Live event will be broadcast online for gamers to watch at home.

It may seem a bit odd to call this event the ‘Opening Night’, considering that we already had a Destiny 2 Showcase and an Xbox Gamescom event yesterday, but it’s probably best not to worry too much about the naming here.

After all, regardless of the name, it should be a fun night – it’s become something of a tradition in recent years that Gamescom hosts its own big show, near the start of the conference, with industry favourite Geoff Keighley presiding over an evening of shiny new trailers for upcoming games.

But when exactly is Gamescom Opening Night Live 2021, and how can you tune in and watch the stream from home? Keep on reading and we’ll run through all the key details.

When is Gamescom Opening Night Live 2021?

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2021 is taking place on Wednesday 25th August – that is, of course, today! This show has taken the form of a physical event in the past, back in the days before COVID-19, but this year it will be an online-only affair (much the same as last year). Perhaps next year there will finally be a human audience again!

What time is Gamescom Opening Night Live 2021?

There are three main times to be aware of tonight – there’s a pre-show, the main show and an after-show event as well – which we’ll sum up for you below. From a UK time zone perspective, these are the times you’ll want to watch out for:

If you just want the biggest news, we’d wager that you can just tune into the main show bit. But if you want some extra chat and every possible morsel of news, it’s best to watch the whole thing. You might want to have dinner before you sit down, then!

How to watch Gamescom Opening Night Live 2021

You can watch the Gamescom Opening Night Live 2020 event right here, because we’ve embedded the YouTube video below for your viewing pleasure. As usual, the stream is being hosted on the YouTube channel of The Game Awards, host Geoff Keighley’s other annual project in the gaming industry. You can tune in for tonight’s show here:

If you’re looking for a handy summary of what has happened at the conference so far, check out our Gamescom 2021 recap – we’re going to update it all through the week with all the biggest news, so you might even want to bookmark it!

Who is hosting Gamescom Opening Night Live 2021?

Journalist and presenter Geoff Keighley will be hosting the stream, as is tradition – this is the third annual Opening Night Live that Gamescom has presented, and every single one of them has been hosted by Keighley so far.

You also might recognise Keighley from The Game Awards, which he also hosts every year. And you may have seen his Summer of Gaming video series which rose up during the pandemic to fill the gap left by last year’s E3 conference.

"Geoff
Geoff Keighley is one of the go-to hosts in the gaming industry.
Getty

Which games will feature at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2021?

A number of games have already been confirmed to appear at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2021 – we know that LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Call of Duty: Vanguard, Far Cry 6, Saints Row, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge will all appear during the show.

Plus, Keighley has been teasing a new football game on his social channels, which makes us suspect that Konami’s eFootball game could make an appearance here as well. And, as ever, it’s probably wise to expect some surprises too.

Follow Radio Times Gaming on Twitter for all the latest insights. Or if you’re looking for something to watch, see our TV Guide.

Visit our video game release schedule for all upcoming games on consoles. Swing by our hubs for more Gaming and Technology news.