Gamescom 2025 was stacked with surprises, long-awaited reveals, and plenty of hands-on impressions that left fans buzzing. 
From long-dormant franchises making comebacks to fresh twists on iconic series, this year’s show delivered both nostalgia and innovation in equal measure.
Among the biggest headlines was Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, set in 2035 and bridging the events of Black Ops 2 and 6. With a November 14 release date, the game introduces four-player co-op campaign progression, Arkham-inspired fear-toxin missions, and a new approach to zombies. It’s already being framed as the franchise’s boldest step in years.
The crown jewel of the event, however, was the long-awaited confirmation that Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launches on September 4, 2025. A stunning gameplay trailer showed Hornet’s new moves, vast new regions, and a staggering roster of 200+ enemies and 40 bosses. The demo convinced many that the sequel could surpass the original, calling it a “playable work of art.”
Nintendo once again stole attention with Kirby Air Riders, a chaotic, maximalist spin on vehicle action that refuses to play by racing game rules. Meanwhile, Capcom flexed with Resident Evil: Requiem, introducing a terrifying new stalker hunting protagonist Grace Ashcroft. Onimusha also returned with Way of the Sword, rekindling PS2-era memories with precise, Soulslike-tinged combat.
Other notable reveals included Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, a mashup of Arkham-style action and LEGO charm that promises to be the definitive digital Bat anthology. Valor Mortis, a new Soulslike from the Ghostrunner devs, drew attention with its alt-history Eastern Europe setting. And yes, fans finally got a look at Pragmata – though its hacking combat mechanic is already dividing opinion.
The surprises didn’t stop there: Fallout Season 2 revealed a Vegas setting and deeper Ghoul backstory, Sekiro: No Defeat was confirmed as a fully hand-drawn anime, and Bandai Namco’s Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition struggled in handheld mode on Switch 2, raising performance concerns. Elsewhere, Mortal Kombat unveiled a never-before-playable version of Ultimate MK3, and Obsidian gave us more of The Outer Worlds 2, releasing October 29.
Even niche announcements sparked buzz, from He-Man’s beat ’em up debut to quirky indie projects like Replaced and Denshattack!. Whether it was the fan-service of LEGO Batman, the long-awaited Silksong date, or the promise of new Soulslikes, Gamescom 2025 proved that gaming’s future is as varied and ambitious as ever.
4 comments
cod actually looks good again lol, futuristic stuff kinda cool
man I was hyped for Pragmata but that hacking minigame sounds like a chore
Nintendo lowkey won again, Kirby game looks wild af 😂
just announce fallout 3 remaster already, stop teasing