Background: Mafia: The Old Country, Borderlands 4, and Dying Light: The Beast: What Was Shown During Gamescom 2024 Opening Ceremony
In 2024, Sony and Nintendo opted not to attend Gamescom, choosing to concentrate on the Tokyo Game Show in September. Microsoft representatives appeared at the Cologne event to reveal new titles for Xbox Series and PC. This article covers what was unveiled on the conference’s first day.
Overwatch 2 Season 12
After a brief on-stage chat about Microsoft’s game release strategy against competitors, a vibrant animated segment introduced a new Overwatch 2 heroine named Juno. She can heal allies, leap with engine-powered boots, and unleash a blaster on foes. Juno is playable starting today. Season 12 also introduces a new Battle mode where players are tasked with controlling points across a mirrored battlefield, along with fresh arenas, skins for characters and weapons, and a variety of balance changes.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
Diablo 4 developers shared details about the first expansion. Vessel of Hatred brings back mercenaries—strong fighters and mages who aid the player in combat. Each ally has unique skills that can be upgraded as progress is made. A single mercenary can accompany the hero, but players may swap to a different one at any time.
Cooperative players should note the Dark Citadel mode, featuring challenging battles, puzzles, and other activities designed for multiple participants. The city of Kurasa will host a series of time-limited trials with player-defined objectives and rewards.
Fans who purchase Vessel of Hatred on October 8 will unlock a new character class, the Heir of Spirits. These wizards rely on summoned creatures to crush enemies and battle bosses.
Do you play Diablo 4?
Diablo Immortal
On mobile, a Diablo spin-off expands with many innovations, including a new cooperative mode and seasonal events for Halloween and Christmas. The standout update is the return of Diablo himself to Sanctuary, where he will play a pivotal role in the ongoing story campaign.
Articles about gaming conferences
STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl
GSC Game World showcased a fresh demo at Gamescom 2024, allowing attendees to explore the latest build. The demo included a scanner mechanic that electrifies the environment, distorts nearby structures, and causes support pillars to collapse. Encounters with bandits began with a firefight, with darkness making targets harder to spot, pushing players to rely on sounds and flash of gunfire.
In the next engagement, the main character stalks a group of foes, deploying a grenade to thin their ranks and draw out the rest. The sequence ends with a sniper in a tower, and a tactical move that involves luring attention away with a distraction while the player advances. Commentary notes that first aid kits and rations exist, but some canned foods restore only small vitality, so they’re best saved for non-combat moments. The show closed with stalkers gathered around a fire, singing together as night falls.
Revenge of the Savage Planet
Opening ceremonies at Gamescom 2024 offered a trailer for Revenge of the Savage Planet, with gameplay later shown at the Microsoft presentation. The world has a surreal, humorous vibe, while gameplay emphasizes environmental scanning and data collection about encountered creatures. Aggressive aliens must be defeated with stylish weaponry. Some enemies split into parts that still threaten the player, and the game supports solo and co-op play.
Dustboard
An interactive film follows a group of musicians and a robot assistant through a future United States that no longer exists as one nation. The visuals resemble Life is Strange, and the project is a collaboration between Red Thread Games and Quantic Dream. Reviews from journalists and players have been mixed about the execution.
Starfield: Shattered Space
The first expansion for Starfield highlights the fast jet-powered buggy REV-8, which resembles the Mako from the early Mass Effect games. Access to the new transport does not require DLC—simply download the latest update. Shattered Space centers on House Va’ruun, a place where a dark cult operates, and promises to unveil more about their rituals. Todd Howard described the DLC as comparable in scope and scale to Far Harbor for Fallout 4.
Let’s Build a Dungeon
A quirky pixel game invites players to craft their own MMORPG focused on dungeon exploration. Players design levels, hire developers and testers, and create content to keep virtual patrons engaged. If engagement drops, subscriptions may be canceled, risking financial failure. The concept is intriguing, but its implementation remains to be seen.
Atomic Trap
A Fallout-like RPG set in a post-apocalyptic England where robots coexist with various monsters. The developers promise freedom of action and branching storylines where decisions affect outcomes. The gameplay reveal suggested similarities to Fallout, but the landscapes differ from classic settings like the Capital Wasteland. With Bethesda not confirming a new entry in the mainline series soon, Atomfall could appeal to fans as a fan project rather than a major sequel.
Dragon Ball: Sparks! Zero
A fighting-game trailer based on the Dragon Ball anime hints at a robust campaign with story-driven missions, cutscenes, and character progression alongside fast-paced battles with flashy effects reminiscent of Capcom’s celebrated titles.
Age of Mythology: Retold
The day closed with conversations from developers about Age of Mythology: Retold. A lengthy campaign spanning around 50 missions, large-scale land and sea battles, and special abilities like a meteor shower were promised. The first day left audiences curious about how these classic battles will translate to modern graphics and systems.
Did you enjoy the first day of the Microsoft presentation? Or were you hoping for more? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Times