Gamescom kicks off on August 19, 2025 with another episode of Geoff Keighley extravaganza Opening Night Live. The commercial show charges for advertising spaces, according to a report from the German video game magazine GamesWirtschaftprices go up.
According to the report, advertising costs during next year’s Opening Night Live will range from €140,000 (approximately $147,000 USD) for 30 seconds to €335,000 (approximately $351,000 USD) for two minutes, which amounts to an average increase of 25% compared to 2024. A new three-minute level costs a whopping €465,000 (approximately $487,000 USD).
Keighley’s other annual appearances, The Game Awards and Summer Game Fest, cost money slightly higher numbers, but that doesn’t make it any easier for smaller studios to make the kind of money needed to secure a spot at Opening Night Live – all three shows provide free “editorial placements” for major publishers by the way.
At last year’s Gamescom, indie developers quietly protested Opening Night Live’s prices by posting their trailers and gameplay clips on social media instead.
Keighley and Gamescom did not immediately respond to separate requests for comment.