Several months after April’s State of Play, dedicated to Final Fantasy 16, and that god awful PlayStation Showcase back in May, Sony is finally ready to pull back the curtains “indie and third-party titles from around the world.”
Wait, what? Did Sony just tell us that the upcoming State of Play is pretty much dedicated to non-first-party titles?
Amidst all the speculation about Sony’s reluctance to showcase its in-development first-party games for one reason or another and the rumors about the PlayStation 5 Slim as well as the PlayStation 5 Pro, Sony has finally decided to throw gamers a bone for September 14.
The upcoming broadcasting event will start at 2 PM PT or 5 PM ET on Thursday and is designed to provide avid gamers with updates on a slew of previously revealed titles slated for PlayStation platforms. These updates promise a balanced mix of indie games, PlayStation VR2 highlights, and third-party titles.
Much to the delight of gaming aficionados, this announcement has coincided with other significant gaming events for September 14. On the same day, Nintendo plans to present its next Nintendo Direct, setting the stage for a day full of thrilling gaming insights. CD Projekt Red will also be joining the lineup with details about their new Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, Phantom Liberty, in a new Night City Wire event.
Fans can expect Thursday’s State of Play to zero in on both indie and third-party titles from around the globe. Notably, Sony has pretty much clarified that PlayStation Studios’ big new reveals are unlikely to be part of this presentation. However, the showcase, estimated to be about 40 minutes long, is anticipated to give fans a glimpse of several upcoming titles.
We’re expecting Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, which comes out exclusively on the PS5 early next year and will reportedly see a new playable protagonist take the lead at the end, to be the highlight of the showcase. But, other non-first-party titles will appear in the same State of Play as well, including Helldivers 2, Rise of the Ronin, Pragmata, Silent Hill 2 Remake, and of course, Tekken 8.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, a game described as the “ultimate fantasy”, might swing by, but we highly doubt it. Sony has historically reserved its major in-house AAA titles for dedicated showcases. These focused events spotlight the flagship releases, allowing them to dominate the gaming news cycle in their respective timeframes. So, while the 19-inch Venom statue might have thrust Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 into the spotlight, we’re expecting a webhead-centric showcase ahead of the game’s official launch on October 20.
That said, recent State of Play events have sometimes veered off the expected path, surprising and thrilling fans. In the past year alone, Sony blindsided its audience by announcing major titles like Resident Evil 4 Remake, one of the year’s best outings, and Horizon Call of the Mountain. The newest trailers for Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy 16, and the much-celebrated God of War: Ragnarok also caught fans off guard in these “lower-key” events.
As we recount the delightful surprises from previous State of Play events, it might be prudent to start expecting more from them and less from the more high-profile PlayStation Showcases.
Beyond the upcoming State of Play, there’s a sense of excitement surrounding Sony’s first-party studios’ current endeavors. Sony is keeping an even tighter lid on projects that are years away from release, perhaps learning from Xbox’s premature reveals of Fable and The Elder Scrolls 6. This strategy of only spotlighting imminent releases has paid off for Sony. They experienced a blockbuster year with releases like Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, and God of War: Ragnarok all in the past two years alone.
With Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth bookending the fiscal year for the PlayStation 5 with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 coming in during the holiday season to liven things up, the PlayStation is in good shape, contrary to what the naysayers are saying.
If Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition comes out on the PlayStation 5 and the PC before the year ends, then the holiday season will indeed have come early for PlayStation fans.
