Bandai Namco reveals Gamescom 2023 lineup

An Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon hands-on will be headlining the publisher's booth

Bandai Namco, the publisher of 2022's Game of the Year, Elden Ring, has announced the full lineup for its presence at Gamescom 2023, Europe's biggest video game convention, taking place in Cologne, Germany, from August 23 to 27, 2023.

Headlining the booth will be Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, and attendees will get a chance to play the game mere hours before its launch on August 25. 

Here's the full list of games that will be featured at Bandai Namco's Gamescom 2023 booth:

• Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
• Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections
• Park Beyond
• Sand Land
• Tekken 8

Armored Core 6 is coming from Elden Ring developer FromSoftware and is the first game in the long-running mech shooter franchise in more than ten years. In the game, you assemble your Armored Core from a variety of parts and weapons. You then pilot your mech in fast-paced battles against bosses or take on other players in multiplayer mode.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon promises fast-paced omnidirectional battles featuring the series' giant mechs / Bandai Namco

The Armored Core franchise has been rather niche until now, but FromSoft's mainstream success with Eldern Ring last year and the promise of a revamped action experience for AC6 make us excited about the upcoming game. We attended an Armored Core 6 hands-off preview last month, so you can read more about what to expect.

The game is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.

Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is releasing as a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Naruto anime. It is an action/fighting game and will feature the largest roster of playable characters in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series. Fans will be able to check out the 1v1 mode at Gamescom.

Park Beyond is an amusement park management sim that launched on June 16 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. It's a new series for Bandai Namco, and you can read more about it in our Park Beyond review. 

In Sand Land, you play in a desert world where humans and demons are scrambling for water. It's an action RPG based on the classic manga from Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. Sand Land was announced last month and has no release date yet, but it is getting a playable demo at Gamescom.

Sand Land's Gamescom demo is coming just in time for the Sand Land anime movie, which premieres August 18, 2023 / Bandai Namco

Finally, Tekken 8, which will likely launch in late 2023 or sometime in 2024, will also be getting a hands-on demo at Gamescom, letting visitors play with their favorite character against friends or random opponents. Tekken 8 is also got two closed beta tests this month, the first of which starts tomorrow but registration for these is now closed.

If you're visiting Gamescom this year, Bandai Namco will be in Koelnmesse's Hall 6, Booth A21.