Europe’s biggest gaming expo opened this week with heavyweight franchises leading the charge, even as the industry wrestles with job cuts and shifting business models.

At Gamescom in Cologne, Microsoft confirmed Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will launch on November 14, while Warner Bros. Discovery announced Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, slated for 2026.

Microsoft’s Obsidian studio also locked in an October 29 release date for The Outer Worlds 2.

Tencent-owned TiMi Studio shared new details on Honor of Kings: World, a role-playing spin-off of China’s most lucrative mobile game.

Horror fans were given fresh glimpses of Konami’s Silent Hill f and Game Science’s Black Myth: Zhong Kui, the sequel to last year’s breakout hit Wukong.

Despite the attention-grabbing launches, industry disruption still loomed large.

Both gamers and retailers could be in for a merry festive season

Microsoft has cut hundreds of jobs from its gaming division this year and axed several projects to rein in costs, joining rivals in trimming teams after years of expansion during Covid lockdowns.

Trade shows themselves have become less central, with many preferring bespoke livestream events. Opening-night presenter Geoff Keighley nodded to the changing landscape, quipping that “E3 [the now defunct Electronic Entertainment Expo] has just moved right here to Germany”.

But despite the job losses, abandoned projects and budget cuts of the post-pandemic years, there now appear to be some encouraging signs for the industry.

Research firm Newzoo expects global game sales to grow 3.4% this year to US$188.9 billion (A$283 billion), finally surpassing the pandemic-era peak of 2021.

Hardware is driving much of that momentum. For instance, Nintendo’s Switch 2, its first new console in eight years, is expected to give the industry a boost.

Whatever the future of the industry holds, the outlook for the world’s gamers remains bright.

Plenty of marquee titles will be landing just in time for the end-of-year holiday season.