Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Gamescom 2017

German convention Gamescom used to be a big deal for PlayStation, and it still is if you’re planning on attending the convention in Cologne – but for everything outside of the show floor, it’s been a quiet week for Sony over the past few years. It’s looking like that’s going to remain true in 2017, as the Japanese giant has plumped up for Paris Games Week to hold its European press conference – perhaps it prefers the cuisine.

Anyway, just because the platform holder’s decided not to hold a briefing, it doesn’t mean there’s nothing to look forward to. Indeed, plenty of other publishers will be at the show, so you can bank on new trailers and announcements making headlines all next week. Here’s everything you need to know about Gamescom 2017.

What is Gamescom 2017?

Gamescom is technically the largest video game convention in the West in terms of attendance – but it obviously comes second to the impact of E3. The show is held at the gigantic Koelnmesse convention hall in Cologne, Germany.

When is Gamescom 2017?

Gamescom 2017 is open officially from Wednesday, 23rd August through Saturday, 26th August – but these are only public days. The show will also be open to industry professionals on Tuesday, 22nd August, while there’ll be streams and reveals starting as early as this weekend.

What time is Sony’s Gamescom 2017 press conference?

As we said above, there isn’t one! Sony will be in attendance on the Gamescom 2017 showfloor, so it’s possible we’ll see new gameplay from a selection of its upcoming games. But in terms of media briefings, it’s decided to host one at Paris Games Week instead, which will take place on 30th October. It’s also got PlayStation Experience in December to think about, as well as the Tokyo Game Show in September. Basically, it’s going to be a busy end to the year for the manufacturer.

What time is EA’s Gamescom 2017 press conference?

One publisher that is holding a press conference at Gamescom 2017 is EA. But when will it take place? Here’s all of the timing information you need:

EA’s Gamescom 2017 Press Conference

Monday, 21st August @ 5:30PM BST

• North America: 9:30am PDT / 10:30am MDT / 11:30am CDT / 12:30pm EDT
• UK/Ire: 5:30pm BST
• Europe: 6:30pm CEST / 7:30pm EEST
• Asia/Oceania: 1:30am (Tue) JST / 12:30am (Tue) AWST / 2:30am (Tue) AEST

Are there any other Gamescom 2017 press conferences?

Not really, no. Microsoft will be livestreaming from 8PM BST on Sunday, 21st August – but it’s looking like a low-key affair primarily designed to launch Xbox One X pre-orders at long last. Nintendo will also be streaming some upcoming games during the week, and we’re sure Nintendo Life will have you covered for that. Otherwise, there’s a Blizzard stream scheduled for 5PM BST on Wednesday, 23rd August, and that’s about it.

What games will be at Gamescom 2017?

All of the big ones! Virtually all of the major publishers you’d expect are attending Gamescom 2017, but the question is whether they’ll have anything new to show. Activision’s bringing the same Call of Duty: WWII and Destiny 2 demos that we’ve seen before, and the same is true of Ubisoft and Bethesda’s wares.

Similarly, most of Sony’s demos are expected to be the same as the ones it brought to E3 2017 earlier in the year. Perhaps the most exciting material will come in the form of new trailers and reveals for games that we don’t already know about. There has been talk that Shenmue III may get a new gameplay clip, and titles like Tennis World Tour are also expected to be in attendance.

Your best bet is to stay tuned to Push Square where we’ll bring you all of the news that matters as and when it breaks. We’ll also update this page should any last minute livestreams or points of interest be announced.