Gamescom, the biggest gaming expo in the world, sets the stage for top brands and trendsetters in the world of gaming. Now, in its 16th year, Gamescom stands witness to over 4 lakh passionate gamers from across the world, flocking to Germany — braving the hot European summer from August 19 to 24 in Koelnmesse GmbH (Cologne Trade Fair) — to witness the launch of the new Xbox as well as the reveal of several video games, like Call of Duty and Borderlands 4. Based on reaction, popularity and the buzz on the ground, we have cherry-picked a few trends that will make waves in the gaming world.
We went hands-on for a few hours with the new portable Xbox | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 5090 – ASUS Graphics Card | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The toolkit
Unboxing X factor
We went hands-on for a few hours with the new portable Xbox, a customised ROG Ally X running a tailored version of Windows. The seven-inch, 720p, 120Hz display handled Hogwarts Legacy, Forza Horizon 5 and other demanding titles smoothly. Ergonomics felt close to an Xbox controller, with well-distributed weight making the device comfortable to hold despite its size. The ROG Xbox Ally X suggests a clear move from Microsoft towards the handheld space.
House of cards
On its 30th anniversary, ASUS Republic of Gamers just revealed its fastest Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), the ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 5090 (limited to only 1,000 cards). GPUs or graphic cards generate graphics and increase frame rates using AI. To achieve enough overclocking headroom and push the RTX 5090 chipset to its limit, the juggernaut of a card is clad in red turbines, with a dual-rotary fan setup.
A still from the new season of Fallout | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Life-size replica of pirate ship Going Merry made out of LEGO | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Joystick meets remote control
What happens in Vegas
Actors Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten along with British-American screenwriter and film producer Jonathan Nolan and American screenwriter Geneva Robertson-Dworet of the Amazon Prime series Fallout — based on the post-apocalyptic retro futuristic game — appeared at the event to give us some updates. Along with a trailer that showed Fallout: New Vegas, a 2010 action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment, there came a news of new season featuring Lucy and The Ghoul. Expect slow motion V.A.T.S-like gunplay. The new season will be out this year on December 17.
Netflix and chill
Netflix wowed the fans of One Piece, with a life-size replica of pirate ship Going Merry made out of LEGO, the beloved crew of Monkey D Luffy’s sails on. One Piece is a unique take on the pirate adventure with super-powered pirates and fantastical creatures of the seas. Originally a Japanese anime, it is now a hot show on Netflix with a new season right coming up in 2026.
Doomscrolling?
American video game designer, programmer and producer Ron Gilbert, who created Monkey Island series, from the good-old era of point and click adventures, is back with a new type of game — Death by Scrolling. It is a top-down pixel game like Zelda, but with a twist. You have to keep running away from the reaper, which is the bottom of your screen, as the game keeps scrolling. A new take on a roguelike (a subgenre of role-playing video games characterised by procedurally generated levels, turn-based gameplay, grid-based movement, and permadeath) where you have to dodge death while making sure you get your adventurous chores and shopping done.
A shot from Zero Parades | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Character sketch
While its studio has been going through rough weather, Za/Um, the team behind role-playing video game Disco Elysium, has a new game coming out soon — it is called Zero Parades. Nothing much was revealed except a trailer featuring a disturbed-but-cool female protagonist, characterised by the studio’s signature illustrative style. Expect another psychological mind-bender of a game.
Black Myth: Zhong Kui | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Chinese whisper
Another reveal was the curtain closer of Game Science’s new game Black Myth: Zhong Kui. After the roaring success of Black Myth: Wukong, featuring its take on unique deities from Chinese mythology, Zhong Kui brings another godlike figure to light, this time the titular protagonist is a ghost hunter. As the cinematic trailer depicts, a couple of ghosts are seen hiding from a bearded stranger riding a tiger.
The Outer Worlds 2 | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Capital gain
The Outer Worlds 2, a new sequel from developers Obsidian, has blended spacefaring with corporate high-jinx. It gets more and more hilarious with every reveal and with its “head of sequels” Ben Schwartz appearing to introduce the colourful cast of characters you encounter on your journey through the game based on capitalism in space. It will be released on October 29.
World of Warcraft | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
In the shadows
No one does cinematic trailers better than Blizzard, and we got to see a brand new World of Warcraft expansion. This time, it will feature a new threat to the dark elves, a shadowy figure. This sees the elves harness the power of the sun to fight back the might of midnight.
Chronos: The New Dawn | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Chills and thrills
Resident Evil Requiem has a bone-chilling new trailer, from developers Capcom, featuring a mother and daughter’s escape from a monster. Then there is Bloober, the team behind many horror hits, with its new sci-fi horror Chronos: The New Dawn. Lastly, there is new Onimousha: Way of the Sword bringing those demon samurai vibes. All three will be out next year.
Ninja Gaiden | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Cyber crime
Before video-game developer FromSoftware’s BloodBorne and Souls series brought the appetite for tough games into the mainstream, there was Ninja Gaiden. The game’s up and coming fourth instalment features the return of Ryu Hyabusa taking on a host of cyber enemies. With action game masters Platinum Games at the helm, the game looks like a marriage between the original Ninja Gaiden and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. It will be released on October 21 this year.
