Plus, see the eye-popping amount of money that publishers pay to have their games featured during the show

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: Start Time, How To Watch, And What To Expect

Plus, see the eye-popping amount of money that publishers pay to have their games featured during the show

When is Gamescom Opening Night Live?

Opening Night Live takes place on Tuesday, August 20, with the show beginning at 8 PM CET. It's expected to run for about two hours, wrapping up around 10 PM CET. In the US, the show airs beginning at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET. The event itself takes place at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, but of course, it will be streamed live around the world as well.

The main event will be preceded by a pre-show that starts 30 minutes before kickoff. This is a pre-taped show and will only stream online; people physically in attendance at the event won't see it.

How to watch Gamescom Opening Night Live

Opening Night Live will stream on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Steam, Bilibili, X, and Facebook. These platforms are subject to change.

What to expect from Gamescom Opening Night Live

Viewers can expect new game announcements, along with new trailers and gameplay reveals. Additionally, the event will provide a "first look" at the events to come during Gamescom 2024. The show itself, which is among the largest on the planet for games, runs August 21-25.

So far, Keighley has teased a range of announcements, including potentially the next Dying Light project. You can see a full rundown of the games confirmed for Gamescom Opening Night Live below.

2023's Opening Night Live was packed with news and reveals, including new trailers for Starfield and Alan Wake, while the show also debuted new footage of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

Games confirmed for @gamescom Opening Night Live appearances today include:

- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Little Nightmares III
- DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO
- Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
-…
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) August 20, 2024

How much do companies pay to show off their games?

Opening Night Live is a big, big show, and to have a game featured, publishers usually have to pay up, though this might not be the case in every instance. The published rates start at €115,000 ($125,000 USD) for a 30-second spot and scale up to €265,000 ($288,000 USD) for two minutes. Publishers are also required to have a booth at the show itself or another type of qualifying "activation" with a minimum spend of €60,000 ($65,000 USD) to be able to show their games during Opening Night Live.