Grand strategy game developer Paradox Interactive has accidentally leaked a new game set to be revealed at Gamescom 2026. In the days leading up to Gamescom Opening Night Live, Paradox Interactive has been teasing a new game announcement on social media, but now the name of this new game has been leaked ahead of its official reveal. The title alone doesn’t reveal much about its gameplay, but it’s likely going to be a post-apocalyptic take on Paradox’s grand strategy formula.
Paradox is known for its massive-scale grand strategy game franchises like Europa Universalis, Victoria, Hearts of Iron, and Crusader Kings. However, the developer has yet to venture into the post-apocalyptic genre, though it has created sci-fi grand strategy games like Stellaris. For fans of Paradox’s formula and post-apocalyptic worlds like Fallout, this newly leaked game may be a match made in heaven.
Paradox Accidentally Leaks New Game “Afterworld”
On the official Paradox Forums website, the developer appears to have accidentally listed a game titled “Afterworld” under its unreleased games filter. Reddit user RedCreatorCall discovered this oversight and shared it on the Paradox subreddit. Users immediately made the connection between Afterworld and its post-apocalyptic implications, with some even suggesting unequal gameplay mechanics where players need to compete for resources as they rebuild a fallen world.
To add to this leak, another Reddit user named DimDimio has discovered a community Discord server for Afterworld, which features a description of the game that reads:
“Lead a tribe of survivors, rediscover ancient technology, manage wasteland settlements and wage wars of conquest and political struggle in Afterworld, an original post-apocalyptic survival grand strategy game.”
However, user DimDimio notes that they were kicked from the server, and it has been made private, suggesting that the Discord was not meant to be publicly available yet. It’s possible that these “leaks” are part of a guerrilla marketing campaign by Paradox to generate interest in the game ahead of its official reveal at Gamescom Opening Night Live. Paradox does have a history of leaking games and DLC ahead of their official announcements, so this Afterworld leak is par for the course.
Paradox does have some strong competition when it comes to standing out during the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase. Confirmed for the presentation is the gameplay reveal for The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past DLC, the surprise expansion that was announced back in May. Other major games confirmed for a Gamescom appearance include:
- Final Fantasy 7: Revelation
- Metro 2039
- Silent Hill: Townfall
- Tides of Annihilation
- Gears of War: E-Day
- EXODUS
- Ananta
- ONTOS
- Game of Thrones: War for Westeros
- Showa American Story
- Valor Mortis
- Pony Island 2
- Path of Exile 2
- Monster Hunter Outlanders
- Cinder City
- AION2
- Warlock Dungeons & Dragons
In addition to these games confirmed for Gamescom 2026, there are several other rumored game appearances as well. Hogwarts Legacy 2 and Alien: Isolation 2 are rumored to show up at Gamescom ONL, as is an unexpected sequel to an existing Xbox franchise. With these potentially heavy hitters making their presence known at Gamescom, Paradox could be attempting to hype up fans ahead of time with a planned “leak” of Afterworld before fully unveiling the game during the showcase.