Did you miss following Gamescom this year? Do not worry, we have you covered. This is the second consecutive year that the annual gaming expo was a virtual event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This gaming expo that is held in Cologne, Germany each year was hosted by The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley. 

The gaming expo featured multiple exciting and thrilling events such as the Opening Night Live, the Xbox Stream, and Destiny 2 Showcase. Opening Night Live was broadcasted on the Gamescom main channel along with other platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. It is safe to say that there was no scarcity of captivating news coming out of Gamescom 2021.

Check out the Gamescom 2021 welcome video here.

Here’s a short and sweet recap of Gamescom 2021.

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Biggest reveals of Gamescom 2021

Marvel’s Midnight Suns and The Saint Row reboot were among the biggest reveals this year. Besides, viewers also got a scoop of games such as Call of Duty: Vanguard, Far Cry 6, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania, Shredder’s Revenge, The Skywalker Saga, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut, and more. 

If you are a diehard football (soccer in the U.S.) fan, you may want to check out UFL, a brand new football game. Despite the new launch, we still believe EA’s FIFA 22 and Konami’s eFootball will rule the roost in the football simulation world. 

The Future Games Show gave us the most surprising celebrity appearance. Jeff Goldblum made a brief appearance to speak about Jurassic World Evolution 2. 

You can watch the trailer here!

Gamescom 2021 pre-conference recap

Before the start of Gamescom 2021, there was a lot of hype surrounding the event. The gaming industry geared itself for arguably the most awaited gaming events of the year. 

Here’s what hit the internet even before the event started:

  • The official Gamescom website ran a bunch of ‘quests’ where people could sign-up and earn rewards. 
  • The host Geoff Keighly shared a ‘hype trailer’ for the Opening Night Live event 

Gamescom 2021 Day 1 (Tuesday, 24th August) recap 

Destiny 2 on display

This year’s event’s first presentation came from Bungie, the developers of the Destiny series. The Destiny 2 Showcase is likely to be the next prominent DLC chapter of the game and called The Witch Queen, which is slated to launch in 2022. 

  • The gameplay and reveal trailer for The Witch Queen DLC was out.
  • Crossplay went live in Destiny 2
  • Destiny 2 will see the return of The Gjallarhorn weapon
  • Bungie also confirmed that after The Witch Queen and Lightfall there will be a DLC drop which will be known as The Final Shape
  • Content creators and fans from around the world sent short clips for the pre-show. These mini clips featured some of their favorite Bungie moments.
  • Weapon crafting will feature in Destiny 2

Xbox stream

Microsoft was the second company to take the center stage on the first day. It hosted an Xbox stream on Twitch and YouTube. Here is the summary of the stream. 

  • Xbox Cloud Gaming will soon be integrated Xbox consoles at the end of 2021
  • A trailer shed light on an array of Humble Games titles that will be part of the Xbox Game Pass
  • The reveal trailer for Into the Pit was released 
  • Psychonauts 2 got a launch trailer
  • An Age of Empires 4 developer showcased sling-based trebuchet catapult mechanics using real-life footage
  • There was an enthralling trailer for The Gunk
  • There were a lot of new additions to the Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox

Gamescom 2021 Day 2 (Wednesday, 25th August) recap

Carrying forward the mood set on day 1, the second day did not disappoint one bit. The Opening Night Live event gave us some big reveals and surprises. 

Opening Night Live

  • The very first trailer for UFL was released
  • A new Marvel game was revealed through a reveal trailer. The trailer featured Doctor Strange, Wolverine, and other popular heroes. 
  • Horizon Forbidden West’s release date was confirmed (18th February 2022).
  • Far Cry 6’s trailer was released
  • Microsoft released a new trailer for Halo Infinite
  • Fans got an extended look at Call of Duty: Vanguard
  • Lego Star Wars has a new trailer. It confirmed its release in the Spring of 2022.
  • Jungle Book Content will be added to Fall Guys
  • Ubisoft released a new trailer for Rider’s Republic
  • Amazon’s New World MMO game dropped a new trailer and also spoke about its next beta dates (9th-12th September)
  • Some of the other indie games that are outside the A category got considerable spotlight. The trailers for Cult of the Lamb, Super Monkey Ball, Midnight Fight Express, and SIFU were shown. 
  • Jumanji: The Curse Returns had a new trailer

Gamescom 2021 Day 3 (Thursday. 26th August) recap

The third day was relatively low-key in comparison to the previous two days. It included the Future Games Show, a Dying 2 Know stream, and an amazing Awesome Indies Showcase.

  • Apart from the Jurassic World Evolution 2 trailer, Future Games Show offered fresh looks at Jurassic World Aftermath 2, Life is Strange: True Colours, and other trailers.
  • The Dying 2 Know stream gave fans a fair idea about the Dying Light 2 gameplay
  • A trailer for Blasphemous: Wounds of Eventide was the opening act of The Awesome Indies Showcase. The event ended with a short trailer for Oaken. 

Apart from these events, there was a lot more happening at the Gamescom this year. Right from the A-listers to the budding game developers, it featured a perfect mix of content and game creators. Although the event was held virtually for the second year running, it was a hit among the gaming community. 

While the fans got a glimpse of their favorite game titles and new gaming tech, it was an amazing opportunity for game developers to showcase their work. We hope this Gamescom 2021 recap gave you a fair idea about the events that transpired at the event. 

Will Gamescom 2022 be held live or will it be a virtual event as well? Time will tell. 

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Image Source: Gamescom