The rumor mill can lastly take a long-earned relaxation, as Sony has confirmed {that a} long-suspected State of Play will happen on February 12. Pleasure round this month’s presentation is especially excessive, and for good cause: PlayStation has a variety of main releases cooking, however has remained tight-lipped on after we’ll really get to play most of its upcoming PS5 video games.
If the upcoming State of Play delivers on these lacking onerous details, PlayStation is poised to take lead for the business and tee up a 12 months that is nonetheless fairly up within the air. It is potential we’ll get a present that is gentle on surprises and heavy on particulars, however it could be remiss of me to shut the door on just a few gasps – in spite of everything, Sony’s attorneys have been making lots of noise round Bloodborne within the run-up to its tenth anniversary. No matter whether or not a visit again to Yharnam is within the books, it does really feel like there’s lots of causes to be excited for this State of Play – this is what I am personally maintaining a watch out for.
Launch dates upon launch dates
Thumb by way of a listing of this 12 months’s upcoming video games, and you will see an alarming lack of onerous launch dates. One of many greatest query marks is round Ghost of Yōtei, which was revealed final 12 months together with a 2025 launch window – stunning lots of followers who anticipated Sucker Punch’s long-awaited sequel to nonetheless be just a few years away from launch. Contemplating Murderer’s Creed Shadows – which does have a launch date, and is barely a month away – will quickly give gamers their fill of samurai fantasy, it appears wise to pencil in a launch date whereas followers are nonetheless parched.
Exterior of PlayStation, there are just a few massive third-party titles that really feel like a powerful match for this month’s State of Play. Hideo Kojima‘s bizarre walkathon Demise Stranding 2 and Konami‘s Steel Gear Stable Delta: Snake Eater are but to have launch dates locked in, and moreover their robust ties to PlayStation, there’s good cause to suspect every developer has one thing cooking. Kojima not too long ago teased 10 seconds of Demise Stranding 2 gameplay while mixing a brand new trailer – gee, I’m wondering the place that’ll present up – while Steel Gear Stable Delta: Snake Eater’s clues are a bit extra on the nostril, as a trailer confirming an August 28 launch date was leaked by way of none aside from PlayStation.
Moreover placing numbers to names, this State of Play additionally looks like a chance for PlayStation to banish any lingering doubts round its future. 2024 was a quiet 12 months for Sony – moreover the success of platforming gem Astro Bot, its main studios have been noticeably quiet, whereas the demise of multiplayer shooter Harmony solid a protracted shadow over Sony’s formidable stay service plans.
Although it feels a bit too quickly to listen to extra on Naughty Canine‘s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which was solely revealed at The Recreation Awards in December, Sony has a number of choices for making a present of energy if it so needs. It has been some time since we heard something about Marvel’s Wolverine, and with Marvel followers satisfied that Logan will probably be within the subsequent Avengers movie, now could possibly be the right time to tease a glimpse of the sport, even when an outright launch date appears unlikely. That mentioned – Insomniac has been tight-lipped about Wolverine’s progress, so it is onerous to inform how far alongside the pipeline its subsequent superhero sport really is. Rumors have additionally instructed Insomniac could also be additional increasing PlayStation’s Marvel universe past the adamantium avenger and our favourite wallcrawler, together with potential spin-offs, which might be nice to listen to extra on.
Elsewhere, Bungie has ramped up improvement on Marathon and appears dead-set on replicating the stay service success it is discovered by way of Future. The studio has been pretty clear about Marathon nonetheless being some methods off, so whereas we’re unlikely to get a launch date for this simply but, it will not come as a shock to see an extended trailer paraded out – moreover it sounding improbable, Sony displaying actual confidence within the sport at its early phases would go a good distance towards righting the ship after the messiness of Harmony’s collapse. Equally, I might like to see extra from Haven Studios’ Payday-esque shooter Fairgames. This shooter feels a lot additional alongside the road than a few of its in-development siblings at PlayStation, so its look would not come as an excessive amount of of a shock. That mentioned, I am going to admit to a bit bias – I’ve sunk extra time into Payday than I might care to confess, so I am quietly simply hoping for one thing that scratches that itch sooner moderately than later.
Moreover enjoying the hits, it does really feel like there’s room for just a few wild playing cards to boost the presentation. Sony Santa Monica has been awfully quiet since God of Battle Ragnarok, however rumors surrounding the studio are too skinny to wager on. However there are sufficient clues within the wild to recommend that Sony might really have one thing Bloodborne-shaped within the works. Whether or not that is a full Bloodborne remaster or slapped-on polish for a PS5 port, the writer’s attorneys have been very aggressive over the previous few weeks, taking down each a high-profile 60fps mod and PS1 demake – a spree so congruous that even the previous’s creator has questioned if an official announcement is on the best way. With Bloodborne’s tenth anniversary arising subsequent month– what? I do not even need to say it, however make of that as you’ll.
All mentioned, PlayStation’s subsequent State of Play seems to be set to color broad strokes for 2025. It is historically been very onerous to foretell each beat Sony will hit, however its February 12 presentation definitely appears to have extra clues scattered than normal. No matter we see, it is going to be very fascinating to see how Sony’s software program arm plans to deal with a 12 months that may possible be dominated by the Nintendo Swap 2 and GTA 6 – and if Sony performs its playing cards proper, 2025 might certainly be an enormous 12 months for PlayStation.
