5 key takeaways from Gamescom 2024 Opening Night

Gamescom 2024 began on August 20, 2024, bringing many exciting announcements for the gaming community. Numerous trailers for previously announced games were showcased during the event, and new titles were also teased. The showcase was packed with surprises, one of which was the reveal of Borderlands 4.

This article highlights five key takeaways from Gamescom 2024 Opening Night.

Note: This article solely reflects the writer's opinions and is not ranked in any order. The entries are arranged in no particular order.

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5 key takeaways from this year's Gamescom Opening Night

1) Mafia The Old Country

Mafia: The Old Country is the next entry in the franchise (Image via 2K Games)

Fans have been anticipating the release of a new Mafia game for a while, and it looks like their prayers have been answered.

Mafia The Old Country is the next highly anticipated entry in the franchise, set in 1900s Sicily. The game will be a next-gen exclusive, and more information about it will be revealed in December 2024. For now, the title can be wishlisted on the digital storefront.

After the buggy launch of Mafia 3 in 2017, fans are hoping to see The Old Country release in a polished state. The game will feature Italian dubbing and subtitles, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in Italy.

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2) Borderlands 4

Fans are excited for Borderlands 4 (Image via 2K)

Following the underwhelming performance of the Borderlands movie at the box office, fans were disheartened by the franchise’s portrayal on the big screen. However, Gamescom has sparked renewed excitement with the announcement of Borderlands 4, slated for release in 2025. The game will be a next-gen exclusive and is now available to wishlist on all digital storefronts.

The teaser, which was only a minute-and-a half long, mainly showcased various galaxy shots before revealing the iconic Borderlands mask. The footage was pre-rendered, meaning there was no gameplay or in-game cutscenes, which are likely to be featured in future presentations.

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3) Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Indiana Jones will be in first-person mode (Image via MachineGames)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was only announced for Xbox Series and PC platforms, leaving PlayStation 5 users disappointed, as they had been eagerly anticipating the chance to play the game on their console. However, at the end of the Gamescom stream, it was revealed that the title will indeed be coming to the PlayStation 5 in the spring of 2025.

This release will be three to four months late, as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will first come to the Xbox Series and PC platforms on December 9, 2024. The announcement also included a trailer featuring behind-the-scenes footage of Troy Baker, who shared his experience portraying Indiana Jones.

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4) Kong Survivor Instinct

Side scroller iis a unique take on the Kong fraanchise (Image via PlayStation)

2023's Skull Island: Rise of Kong left fans of the giant ape disappointed with its unpolished and buggy structure. However, things are looking up with the announcement of Kong Survivor Instinct, a title set to arrive in the fall of 2024 on the PlayStation 5. The game is an action-packed side scroller where you play as a bystander searching for his daughter.

The Kong Survivor Instinct trailer showcased at Gamescom didn't have enough scenes of the giant ape, but going by the title, the iconic beast will be a significant part of the narrative. The trailer showcased the protagonist struggling against a giant spider while making his way through a destroyed city.

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5) Secret Level

Secret Level will feature stories from various video games (Image via Prime Video)

Besides the gaming announcements, Gamescom also revealed a surprise anthology series developed by Amazon Prime Video, which is set to release on December 10, 2024.

Titled Secret Level, the animated show will tell short stories based on popular video game franchises, such as Concord, Crossfire, Pacman, and a few PlayStation Studio titles.

There is not much information available on Secret Level as of yet, but some crossovers are expected. For example, the series' trailer at Gamescom briefly features Kratos from God of War standing in the middle of a modern road. This moment is reminiscent of a scene from the Spider-Man 2 promotional trailer.