Gamescom 2026 featured a significant slate of new game reveals and playable demos, offering a glimpse into the future of interactive entertainment. Polygon's editorial team was on the ground in Cologne, Germany, to experience a wide array of titles, from highly anticipated blockbusters to intriguing independent projects. Here are the 11 standout games encountered at the event.
Fable
Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios presented a compelling demo of the upcoming Fable, showcasing its tight and fluid combat mechanics. Players can seamlessly switch between melee, ranged, and magic attacks. The preview focused on a quest through an old mine, culminating in a boss battle against a formidable spirit in a bog. Despite expectations of a shorter game length, the experience was engaging.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn
Owlcat Games' The Expanse: Osiris Reborn impressed with its faithful adaptation of the beloved sci-fi universe. Going beyond its initial promotion as a third-person shooter, the 90-minute demo revealed a game that effectively captures the source material's political intrigue and subterfuge, alongside its action elements. This title has the potential to be a landmark adaptation.
Valor Mortis
Developed by the team behind Ghostrunner, Valor Mortis offers a unique take on the first-person Soulslike genre, set during the Napoleonic Wars. The game features more forgiving parry windows and frequent checkpoints, aiming to capture the challenging yet rewarding loop of trial and error. Its compelling premise and familiar development pedigree make it a noteworthy contender.
Stuntman: Hollywood
Saber Interactive is reviving the cult classic Stuntman with Stuntman: Hollywood. The gameplay revolves around short, intense driving sequences focused on executing precise, over-the-top stunts to achieve high scores, with a level themed around Jurassic World providing a particularly memorable experience.
Tides of Annihilation
Eclipse Glow Games' Tides of Annihilation distinguishes itself in the action genre by focusing on character action combat rather than the prevalent "parryslop." Players cycle through different knight avatars, each with unique abilities, and the game incorporates spectacular set pieces reminiscent of God of War (2018) along with exploration mechanics like zipline creation and pathway discovery.
Wilderings: The Lost Spring
Herobeat Studios presents Wilderings: The Lost Spring, a roguelike that blends elements of creature collection and life simulation. Players embark on runs to strengthen their characters, collect and level up small creatures called "hantu" with unique skills, and restore dying ecosystems across various biomes. The game also includes base-building elements, such as growing plants on an airship.
Guns of Eschaton
Founded by Viktor Antonov, Eschatology Entertainment's Guns of Eschaton aims to create a pure first-person shooter Soulslike. The game emphasizes enemy weak spots, requiring precise aiming to deal significant damage. Set in an apocalyptic Western world, this title is slated for a December release.
The Defiant
Hangzhou Hoothanes Entertainment's The Defiant offers a World War II FPS experience from a Chinese perspective, focusing on "China's War of Resistance." The game draws inspiration from Call of Duty: Vanguard and features a campaign structured into four seasonal parts, each lasting approximately four hours and exploring diverse environments.
Nodusfall
HoYoverse, known for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, is developing Nodusfall, a title compared visually to Elden Ring and in combat to Final Fantasy 16. The game features large-scale boss fights against mythical creatures, with a demo mission involving a cooperative battle against various evil spirits.
Exterminauts
Behaviour Interactive's Exterminauts is positioned as a competitor to Helldivers 2, offering a cooperative monster-slaying experience. The gameplay loop proved highly engaging in a preview session, suggesting it could emulate the success of Arrowhead Game Studios' popular title.
