Overview

• The launch show, hosted by Geoff Keighley, features nearly two hours of new footage led by Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and a Resident Evil sequel, with Silent Hill, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Metroid Prime 4 also highlighted.
• Organizers target a return to pre‑Covid attendance of about 370,000 after drawing roughly 335,000 visitors in 2024, with five days of public and trade access across the Koelnmesse.
• On the floor, Nintendo leans on momentum from a record Switch 2 launch, and Xbox showcases new handheld consoles slated for release by year’s end.
• Industry turbulence shadows the event, with roughly 30,000 jobs cut since early 2023—including more than 4,000 this year—according to Game Industry Layoffs, as noted by co‑organizer Felix Falk.
• Publishers test new models, from Microsoft distributing former Xbox exclusives on rival platforms—with strong PlayStation sales noted by Circana’s Mat Piscatella—to a tilt toward lower‑budget projects after breakout hits like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, even as many smaller titles struggle to find an audience.