Viewer guide: How to watch gamescom 2020

Viewer guide: How to watch gamescom 2020

Find out where you can see the biggest game announcements and Opening Night Live.

Photo credit: Koelnmesse / gamescom / Harald Fleissner

Gamescom 2020 is just around the corner. On Thursday, August 27, Opening Night Live will kick off the gaming fair which takes place entirely digitally this year for the first time since its inception. A lot of game annoucements and new information as well as gameplay is expected to be dropped. Find out about all the major events and where to watch them in our viewer guide.

Watch many shows on gamescom now

In 2019, gamescom presented its central content hub called gamescom now. Since the fair only takes place digitally this year, the platform has been further developed and will be your first port of call for new content.

Here you will find many of the shows featured in this article and all the news, announcements and reveals that happen at gamescom. Also, gamescom partners are able to present their games and stream in the content hub. You do not need to buy a ticket to use the platform, it is 100% free. Gamescom now will be accessible on Thursday, August 27 when the fair is going to kick off.

All events being broadcasted via gamescom now are also open for co-streaming. This means that content creators are allowed to stream the events on their own channels and comment on what is presented.

Opening Night Live

Opening Night Live is the first big show which will open the digital fair. The organizers already announced the two-hour event features world-premiere announcements, trailers, and gameplay for more than 20 games. We can also expect a detailed outlook on what we can await for the upcoming days. Many fans also hope to get further information on the new consoles Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 during the show.

The event is once again going to be hosted by Geoff Keighley, who also presented the event in 2019. Watch it live on gamescom now on August 27 at 8 PM CEST. Subsequently to Opening Night Live, the ONL Aftershow discusses the hottest topics of what was just presented. The show airs at 10 PM CEST.

Gamescom studio and Daily Show

The daily show gamescom studio provides you with lots of information on new games in the form of interviews and gameplay previews. The show airs each day from Thursday to Sunday. There is going to be an English and a German version.

You can watch gamescom studio live on gamescom now. Find the times for each day in the program schedule displayed below.

Gamescom Program 2020

You will also get to see the Daily Show, a talk show that is hosted by comedian Michael Swaim. According to the official gamescom website, Michael will meet “industry luminaries and iconic gaming legends”. The show is set to be a fun conclusion of gamescom’s Friday and Saturday.

Awesome Indies and the best of show

If you’re less of a fan of the big blockbuster games, your go-to-show might be Awesome Indies which airs on Saturday, August 29. In this show, indie games are the clear focus. There will be demo displays, developer spotlights and an awards ceremony for the best indie games at gamescom.

On gamescom’s final day, the Best of Show celebrates the best games of the fair with the gamescom award. A cosplay contest will round off the gala. The show airs on Sunday, August 30, at 8 PM CEST.

More to discover on many channels

More than 300 companies, including big players like Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft are partners of the fair. Many of them are expected to present their newest game announcements and demos on their own channels. We also await many small events to happen on various Twitch channels of the publishers.

In addition, gamescom has always been a gathering of content creators. Keep an eye on your favorite streamers and YouTubers, as they might also take a look at some new games on their channels.

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