GAMESCOM 2026 — OPENING NIGHT LIVE PRE-SHOW

15 Games Revealed Before the Main Show Began

Cologne, Germany — August 25, 2026

Before the lights went down for the main Gamescom Opening Night Live show, there was another showcase already underway.

At 19:30 CEST, thirty minutes before the official Opening Night Live broadcast, the Gamescom 2026 Pre-Show delivered a rapid succession of announcements, trailers, gameplay updates and release information.

And it wasn’t just filler before the main event.

The pre-show featured:

15 games.

From tactical strategy and simulation to action RPGs, mythology, horror, platforming and classic franchises, the opening thirty minutes already gave Gamescom audiences plenty to talk about.

This is the complete rundown of everything presented before the main Opening Night Live broadcast officially began.

🎮 THE COMPLETE PRE-SHOW LINEUP

1. Worms: Galactic Tactics

The show opened with one of the most surprising announcements of the night.

WORMS: GALACTIC TACTICS

The legendary Worms franchise is entering new territory with a tactical strategy approach.

The announcement immediately established the tone of the pre-show:

Expect the unexpected.

Interestingly, the reveal also confirmed that another, more traditional Worms project is currently in development.

That means the franchise is not abandoning its classic identity.

Instead, it appears to be expanding in multiple directions. (PC Gamer⁠)

2. Train Sim World 7

Next came another major simulation franchise.

TRAIN SIM WORLD 7

The latest entry continues the long-running railway simulation series.

The presentation confirmed a release date of:

September 15, 2026

Train Sim World remains one of the biggest simulation brands represented at Gamescom, appealing to players who want detailed vehicles, realistic routes and a more technical gameplay experience. (PC Gamer⁠)

3. RollerCoaster Tycoon Wonderworks

The theme-park genre also made an appearance.

ROLLERCOASTER TYCOON WONDERWORKS

The new entry brings the famous management franchise back into the spotlight.

The presentation confirmed that the game is heading to:

Early Access

For fans of building, management and creative sandbox games, this was one of the more nostalgic reveals of the pre-show. (PC Gamer⁠)

4. Aniimo

Then the presentation moved into a much more colourful world.

ANIIMO

The creature-collecting adventure immediately stood out thanks to its vibrant visual style and creature-focused gameplay.

The pre-show confirmed a global launch date of:

September 16, 2026

Aniimo became one of the most visually distinctive games shown before the main event. (PC Gamer⁠)

5. Genigods: Nezha

The next game brought mythology and action together.

GENIGODS: NEZHA

Inspired by Chinese mythology, the game focuses on stylised third-person action.

The trailer showcased:

• Large-scale enemies

• Magical abilities

• Fast combat

• Mythological environments

The Gamescom appearance gave the project another major platform before the main Opening Night Live showcase began. (SavePoint Gaming⁠)

6. Perceptum

The pre-show then introduced:

PERCEPTUM

The game is currently scheduled for:

Spring 2027

While the presentation was relatively brief, the appearance gave the project valuable exposure during one of the world’s largest gaming events. (PC Gamer⁠)

7. Acornia: Mirror Worlds

The next title was:

ACORNIA: MIRROR WORLDS

Another new world, another completely different style.

The game is currently targeting:

2027

Its inclusion demonstrated the variety of the pre-show, which was moving quickly between major franchises and smaller original projects. (PC Gamer⁠)

8. Valor Mortis

The darker side of the pre-show arrived with:

VALOR MORTIS

The game received a release date of:

October 13, 2026

Its appearance added another action-focused title to a showcase that was already proving surprisingly diverse. (PC Gamer⁠)

9. Tank Rat

Next came:

TANK RAT

The game is currently scheduled for:

January 2027

Another new project, another genre shift.

By this point, the pre-show had already covered tactical games, simulations, creature adventures, mythology and action.

And the main Opening Night Live event hadn’t even started yet. (PC Gamer⁠)

10. Murals

The tenth title was:

MURALS

The game is targeting:

2027

The appearance added another original project to the increasingly eclectic pre-show lineup. (PC Gamer⁠)

11. Humankind 2

Then came one of the biggest strategic announcements of the pre-show.

HUMANKIND 2

The sequel is officially in development and currently targeting:

2027

For strategy fans, this was one of the most important moments before the main show began.

The original Humankind established its own identity within the historical strategy genre, and the sequel now promises to build on that foundation. (PC Gamer⁠)

12. Elta: Defy All Gods

The pre-show continued with:

ELTA: DEFY ALL GODS

The appearance served as a major reveal for the project.

Its title alone suggests a larger-than-life fantasy premise, adding another completely different setting to the Gamescom lineup. (PC Gamer⁠)

13. Age Twisters

The next title was:

AGE TWISTERS

The game is currently targeting:

2027

The announcement continued the pre-show’s focus on introducing new projects that may otherwise have been overshadowed by the enormous franchises appearing during the main event. (PC Gamer⁠)

14. Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Then came one of the biggest established franchises in the pre-show.

ONIMUSHA: WAY OF THE SWORD

Capcom used the Gamescom broadcast to provide another look at the upcoming action game.

The presentation also highlighted an expanded demo featuring new Deadly Duel content.

The full game is scheduled to launch on:

September 4, 2026

This made Onimusha one of the most immediately relevant releases in the entire pre-show lineup. (PC Gamer⁠)

15. Mariachi Legends

The final title before the main show began was:

MARIACHI LEGENDS

The game is scheduled to launch on:

April 27, 2027

And with that, the pre-show came to an end.

Fifteen games had been presented.

The audience had already seen:

• Tactical strategy

• Simulation

• Theme park management

• Creature collecting

• Mythological action

• Fantasy

• Horror

• New original IP

• Historical strategy

• Classic franchises

And then:

Opening Night Live officially began.

(PC Gamer⁠)

📋 THE 15 GAMES — IN PRESENTATION ORDER

#

Game

1

Worms: Galactic Tactics

2

Train Sim World 7

3

RollerCoaster Tycoon Wonderworks

4

Aniimo

5

Genigods: Nezha

6

Perceptum

7

Acornia: Mirror Worlds

8

Valor Mortis

9

Tank Rat

10

Murals

11

Humankind 2

12

Elta: Defy All Gods

13

Age Twisters

14

Onimusha: Way of the Sword

15

Mariachi Legends

The 15-title rundown and the release windows above are supported by contemporary coverage of the ONL pre-show. (PC Gamer⁠)

🔥 WHY THE PRE-SHOW MATTERED

The most interesting thing about Gamescom 2026’s pre-show is that it didn’t feel like a simple countdown to the main event.

It was a showcase in its own right.

Several games received:

New announcements

New trailers

Release dates

Gameplay updates

Demo information

And in some cases, their biggest international exposure yet.

🌍 THE MAIN SHOW HADN’T EVEN STARTED

That is perhaps the best way to understand the scale of Gamescom 2026.

Before Geoff Keighley’s main Opening Night Live programme began, audiences had already seen:

15 games.

And at 20:00 CEST, the main event would introduce an entirely new wave of announcements, world premieres and major franchise updates.

The pre-show wasn’t the beginning of the warm-up.

It was the first chapter of Gamescom 2026.

🎮 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

This article is the starting point for our complete Gamescom 2026 Pre-Show coverage.

From here, we will go through every title individually, in the exact order in which it appeared.

NEXT:

1. Worms: Galactic Tactics

Then:

2. Train Sim World 7

3. RollerCoaster Tycoon Wonderworks

4. Aniimo

5. Genigods: Nezha

And so on.

For titles already covered on the New Format blog, we will not simply repeat the original article.

Instead, we will prepare:

UPDATED EDITIONS

including:

• Newly confirmed information

• Gamescom 2026 details

• Release information

• Gameplay updates

• Developer insights

• Platform information

• What has changed since the original article

🚀 THE PRE-SHOW SERIES STARTS HERE

15 games.

15 individual stories.

One presentation before the biggest show of the night.

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 didn’t begin at 20:00.

For the players watching from Cologne and around the world:

It started thirty minutes earlier.

And this is where our complete coverage begins.