Gamescom 2022 keynote recap: Halo Infinite, Saints Row, Call of Duty: Vanguard and more

Gamescom 2021 keynote recap: Halo Infinite, Saints Row, Phone call of Duty: Vanguard and more

(Prototype credit: Deep Silver)

While Gamescom 2021 may non have a physical location, information technology nonetheless featured enough of games to show off today (Aug. 25). Hot on the heels of yesterday'southward Gamescom 2021 Xbox showcase, the Gamescom 2021 opening night keynote delivered even more than info on some beloved Microsoft serial, plus lots of new titles for PC, PS5, Switch and mobile platforms.

All told, the Gamescom opening keynote highlighted more than than 30 games, ranging from the biggest of big-name releases (Halo Infinite) to titles produced by a evolution team of 1 (Midnight Fight Express). Journalist Geoff Keighley hosted the proceedings, which ran for two hours and featured trailers, gameplay demos and interviews with developers.

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If yous want to run across the whole presentation for yourself, you can watch a recording of the proceedings on thegameawards YouTube channel. We've also embedded it below:

While discussing each game in detail would take another ii hours (at least!), here are the highlights from the Gamescom 2021 opening keynote.

Halo fans were understandably disappointed when Microsoft's Gamescom livestream didn't mention Halo Infinite at all. However, the Gamescom keynote rewarded their patience with a brand-new multiplayer trailer, as well as ii new Halo-themed peripherals: an Xbox Elite Series two controller, and an Xbox Series X panel.

To celebrate Halo's 20th anniversary, Microsoft will put out a controller inspired by Master Chief's iconic armor, every bit well as a console with a infinite background and some distinctive geometric patterns.

More importantly, we finally accept a hard release engagement for the game: Dec 8, 2021. It will exist available on Xbox Series X/S, PC and Xbox Game Pass, although the game won't include campaign co-op or the creative Forge mode at launch.

Saints Row started life equally a somewhat wackier accept on Grand Theft Auto, and ended up as a sci-fi parody where you play equally a superpowered President of the United States. A new reboot, simply chosen Saints Row, will bring the series back downwards to Earth — sort of.

At the Gamescom 2021 opening keynote, nosotros saw a story trailer, as well equally a short gameplay montage for the upcoming open-earth law-breaking game. The new Saints Row looks like it'll be about rival gangs instead of alien invasions, but it also looks like it will have a lot of humor and some wonky physics, to friction match. The game will come out for Xbox, PlayStation and PC on Feb 25, 2022.

We learned a lot almost Call of Duty: Vanguard during an announcement livestream a few weeks back, simply today, we got our first extended look at the game's entrada. Laura Bailey plays Polina Petrova: a Soviet nurse-turned-sniper during WWII. Bailey explained that Polina is inspired by real-life snipers such as Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who fought with the Crimson Army during the Siege of Odessa and other important battles.

The gameplay should seem familiar to Call of Duty campaign fans, with a mix of atmospheric stealth and high-octane shooting, all in hitting European boxing theaters. The game will be out on November 5, 2021, and will feature both a campaign mode and the serial' signature competitive multiplayer.

Marvel's Midnight Suns came out of nowhere, simply is easily one of the almost interesting games from the Gamescom 2021 keynote. In this strategy/RPG from Firaxis games, you'll take command of an original hero in the Curiosity universe, and team up with some of the darker heroes from the comic book setting. In their quest to stop an evil witch named Lilith, customizable protagonist The Hunter volition recruit familiar allies like Wolverine, Blade, Magik and Ghost Rider, and work their way through a strange tale of the occult.

Helm America and Iron Homo volition be there, as well, if y'all need some more straightforward heroes for your team.

The game doesn't have a release date all the same, just Firaxis will host a more than extensive livestream on September 1, featuring gameplay rather than just cinematic trailer footage.

Horizon Forbidden West — (Image credit: Sony)

Nigh a calendar month agone, Sony hinted that Horizon Forbidden W might exist delayed to 2022. Unfortunately, that turned out to be true. Fortunately, players won't accept to look also long for this highly anticipated open up-globe sequel. At the Gamescom opening keynote, we learned that Horizon Forbidden West will launch for both PS4 and PS5 on February 18, 2022.

Unfortunately, that'southward all we learned about the game today; the programmer showed off a more significant chunk of gameplay back in May, and that volition patently accept to hold us until early next yr.

Here are a few more games that are worth keeping an heart on:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge revealed intrepid reporter April O'Neil equally a playable character
Tales of Arise is still on rails for a September 10 release date, and the soundtrack sounds bang-up
Sifu, the gorgeous martial arts activeness game, will come out for PS4 and PS5 on February 2, 2022
Expiry Stranding: Director'due south Cutting is set for a PS5 release on September 24, and features a variety of new gameplay mechanics
Far Cry six features Giancarlo Esposito as the charismatic villain Antón Castillo. Nosotros already knew that, but he even so looks pretty menacing

Stay tuned to Tom's Guide for more Gamescom 2021 coverage over the next few days.

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a scientific discipline writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.