"Final Fantasy" and "The Witcher" capture attention at Gamescom video game fair

Gamescom, Europe's premier video game trade fair, has opened its doors, highlighting the highly anticipated "Final Fantasy" and "The Witcher" series. The event arrives at a challenging time for the industry, marked by significant layoffs and fierce competition.

Thousands of fans and industry professionals gathered for the sold-out opening ceremony in Cologne, Germany. While dozens of new titles were previewed, the year's most awaited game, "Grand Theft Auto VI," was notably absent. Its developer, Rockstar Games, is reportedly saving its own reveal for a later date.

Instead, attendees received a glimpse of a new expansion for "The Witcher 3," titled 'Songs of the Past,' scheduled for release next year, preceding the expected arrival of "The Witcher 4" in 2028. The current installment of the popular monster-hunting RPG has sold over 65 million copies since its 2015 debut. Polish studio CD Projekt announced a free remastered version of "The Witcher 3" for September 29, a welcome move given rising console and hardware costs.

Fans also saw "Final Fantasy VII: Revelation," the third and final part of the remake series based on the 1997 original. Naoki Hamaguchi, director of the trilogy, presented new gameplay footage. Additionally, Ukrainian studio 4A Games previewed "Metro 2039," a new installment in their post-apocalyptic first-person shooter series, set for a February 2027 release. "Metro has always been a story about avoiding war, but now that war is at our doorstep, we have created a story about its consequences and the price of freedom," said executive producer Jon Bloch.

Chinese studio Hoyoverse, known for "Genshin Impact," unveiled "Nodus Fall," a cooperative action title set in a dark medieval world. Visitors at Gamescom can try these and other new releases throughout the week.