Here’s everything announced at Opening Night Live Gamescom 2021

E3 2021 was just a few months ago, but we’re already moving on to the next big video game event. Gamescom 2021 is kicking it into high gear with updates on all the most anticipated upcoming games and a sneak peek at what happens beyond 2021, and the headliner event of the convention is none other than Opening Night Live, hosted by Geoff Keighley.

Opening Night Live was filled with a ton of announcements, trailers, and updates for some of the best upcoming Xbox games and more, and comes the day after the less exciting (but still important) Xbox Gamescom 2021 event. ONL brought out some of the big guns for today’s event, and it was extremely easy to miss something. We’ve compiled every announcement from Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2021 to ensure you didn’t miss a thing.

Games shown off during Opening Night Live can arrive on practically every modern gaming platform, including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, Switch, and more. Many of these games may end up being some of the best Xbox games (or best games in general) when they release.

What are the major announcements from the Opening Night Live Gamescom 2021 event?

Opening Night Live, being the flagship stream of Gamescom 2021, was filled with some of the biggest announcements and news we can expect from the entirety of the event. From the biggest cross-platforms games to surprise appearances from Xbox Game Studios and Microsoft, here are the biggest announcements from Opening Night Live.

Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite was mysteriously missing from Xbox’s Gamescom 2021 event, but that’s because the flagship FPS made an appearance during Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2021. First off, Halo Infinite scored a new cinematic trailer for Season 1 of its free-to-play multiplayer. More importantly, however, it’s finally confirmed that Halo Infinite officially releases on Dec. 8, 2021.

Halo Infinite’s campaign and multiplayer will release simultaneously, but unfortunately Halo Infinite will be missing campaign co-op and Forge custom games at launch. If you’re interested in Halo Infinite, be sure to read our guide on preordering Halo Infinite ahead of its Dec. 8 release.

Immediately after dominating Opening Night Live with its multiplayer cinematic trailer and release date, Halo Infinite took the stage at ONL again to reveal two new pieces of limited edition Xbox hardware, both of which look absolutely incredible. Halo Infinite is getting a Limited Edition Xbox Series X and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, with both becoming available for preorder later today before their release later this year. The Xbox Series X is a bundle that includes the game, a Limited Edition Xbox Wireless Controller, and the stunning custom console.

The standalone limited edition controller is a Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, so it’s a premium controller that has been decked out in Master Chief’s legendary colors. It’s expected for both limited edition hardware options to have low availability, so be sure to preorder as soon as possible. Both the Halo Infinite Limited Edition Xbox Series X and Halo Infinite Limited Edition Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 are expected to release on Nov. 15, 2022

Be sure to check out our guide on how to preorder the Halo Infinite Limited Edition Xbox Series X bundle to optimize your chances of securing the console.

The Saints Row franchise is infamous for being the more chaotic and silly counterpart to Grand Theft Auto, but it’s also more than that. However, in recent years, the Saints Row games have fallen out of favor as they drift farther from what made them special in the first place. During Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2021, Deep Silver and Volition is seeking to rectify this reality with the announcement of a Saints Row reboot game.

The Saints Row reboot game seeks to take the franchise back to its roots, which will likely make fans of older Saints Row titles excited. The Saints Row reboot is available for preorder now, and is coming to Xbox, PlayStation, and PC on Feb. 25, 2022, and will be full to the brim of over-the-top violence. If you want to learn more, this is why Saints Row is a reboot.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Marvel’s Midnight Suns is an all-new game from Firaxis, the creators of XCOM, that explores the story of a brand-new customizable superhero created in a partnership between Firaxis and Marvel. Midnight Suns is a tactical RPG, but we unfortunately don’t have a ton of details on gameplay or what the final product will look like. We do know that the cast we’ve already seen is massive, featuring popular Marvel characters like Iron Man, Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange, and more.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns is set to release sometime in March, 2022, and we’ll be able to see more gameplay for the game in the coming weeks.

Horizon Forbidden West

Horizon Forbidden West is one of the most hotly anticipated PlayStation exclusive games, and was originally slated for release in 2021. However, rumors of a delay were confirmed today during the Opening Night Live event at Gamescom 2021. Horizon Forbidden West is now releasing on Feb. 18, 2022, with preorders set to open on Sept. 2, 2021.

This delay will give Guerrilla Games the time they need to polish the game, and will hopefully lead Horizon Forbidden West to dominate our list of best PS5 games when it releases early next year.

Death Stranding Director’s Cut

Death Stranding is one of the more unique games for PlayStation, and Hideo Kojima is expanding upon his original vision with a ton of new content, quality-of-life improvements, and more. During Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2021, Death Stranding Director’s Cut got an extended preview trailer showcasing all the major additions and changes included in the new edition of the game.

There’s a lot to unpack in the trailer, and players who enjoyed the interesting blend of experiences that Death Stranding offered when it initially released may find plenty of reasons to revisit the game again when Death Stranding Director’s Cut releases on Sept. 24, 2021.

Call of Duty: Vanguard

A new Call of Duty comes around every year, and 2021 is bringing us Call of Duty: Vanguard. During Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2021, Call of Duty: Vanguard showed nearly ten minutes of uninterrupted gameplay footage from its single-player campaign, showcasing how Call of Duty seeks to differentiate itself from the increasingly competitive first-person shooter genre.

Our Call of Duty: Vanguard preview will tell you everything you need to know right now about the upcoming entry in the long-running franchise. The game revisits the era of WW2 where many other games have tread before, but promises to tell a new story this time around, with less of a focus on large-scale battles. Call of Duty: Vanguard officially releases on Nov. 5, 2021.

Splitgate

Splitgate is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter that has absolutely blown up since its Open Beta release, thanks to its Halo-esque combat and Portal-like gameplay mechanics. During Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2021. Splitgate announced that its Open Beta will continue with Season 0, a free update that’s now available to players.

Season 0 will add a ton of new content to Splitgate, most notably a new Battle Pass that can be purchased and completed for a wide variety of in-game rewards. There’s also a new close combat game mode and a slick looking map.

What is every announcement from the Opening Night Live Gamescom 2021 event?

While the biggest announcements from Opening Night Live are liable to capture headlines everywhere, there was plenty of awesome news and reveals during the show that might otherwise slip between the cracks. Fortunately, we captured every announcement during Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2021 and put them all in one place: here.

Saints Row reboot reveal trailer