Everything announced at the PlayStation Showcase 2023

Morning folks! You've got Sam here signing in from sunny UK to start revving the hype machine for tonight's PlayStation Showcase! 

If there's a 100% guaranteed game to feature in today's PlayStation Showcase, surely - surely - it has to be Marvel's Spider-Man 2. With the game set to launch later this year, and rumors suggesting it's as soon as September, we're expecting to see some gameplay and get a release date for Insomniac's next title. 

After all, we've not seen much of the game since it was first announced way back in 2021 at the last big PlayStation Showcase. All we really know is that both Peter Parker and Miles Morales are in it, and Venom is one of the villains you'll be facing. 

Interestingly, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan says Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was made with "no compromises" as a PS5 exclusive, which suggests that the gameplay we should *hopefully* see could be seriously delicious - no loading screens, glorious raytracing, slick swinging... the list goes on.

In the Famitsu interview, Ryan talks up the visual of Insomniac's sequel as being "beautiful," and that the final result of their long development process is truly "impressive". Ho boy, we're in for a treat aren't we?

Outside of the inevitable Spidey, PlayStation itself has flagged that we'll be given a look at "several new creations from PlayStation Studios". 

Now, those studios could include several whose projects have yet to be announced, such as Ben Studio, Santa Monica Studio, Firesprite, Media Molecule, and more.  

Let's have a wander down memory lane shall we and recap some of the studios that PlayStation does have and what they could / are working on.

Take Bend Studios for example - which has brought us the Syphon Filter series and Days Gone. It's said that there won't be another Days Gone game (a big shame in my opinion), which means the studio must be working on something else. 

It tweeted as such earlier this year, and last year there was a PlayStation Blog post that detailed a new IP. It stated:

"We are currently working on a new IP that includes multiplayer and builds upon the open-world systems of Days Gone, but brings you a whole new world that we are extremely excited to craft for you. We cannot wait to reveal it to you when the time is right."

Is today the right time? We hope so!

Then there's Bluepoint Games - which most recently gave us the Demon's Souls remake that dropped as part of the PS5 launch lineup. At the end of 2022, it dropped a Christmas card that everyone thought was a tease for a new game in development. 

Each of the boxes have something that relates to its previous games (from left to right it's Demon's Souls, God of War, and Shadow of the Colossus), but there's one box that's unadorned...

Now, because it's sandwiched between other first-party PlayStation titles, everyone is hoping it's a Bloodborne remaster for PS5 and, eventually, PC. We don't know that's on the cards, but there have been so many rumors and requests over the years, it's definitely plausible.

Other studios that could reveal new games include Housemarque and Media Molecule. Housemarque has brought us games like Resogun and Returnal, and although we've had some chunky updates for the latter, we don't currently know what the next project is. 

As for Media Molecule, the studio recently announced that it is discontinuing live support for Dreams as of September 1, 2023 "to shift our focus to an exciting new project". Now, it might be that it's too early for this to get a reveal today, but we'd take a teaser for anything this creative studio is tackling next.

There's also Polyphony Digital, which recently brought us Gran Turismo 7. It could be that there's some DLC revealed later, but we sincerely doubt it would be anything new. 

However, there is at least a few rumblings about something new from Astro Bot creators Team Asobi. A new platformer perhaps? I still adore Astro's Playroom and all its fun tunes.

What about Sucker Punch though? The studio has brought us a variety of IPs over the years, from Sly Cooper and Infamous, to Ghost of Tsushima. Now, I'd take a new take on any of those games, but the rumors are pointing to it being Ghost of Tsushima 2. However, according to Jeff Grubb, it's unlikely to be at tonight's showcase... 

Guerrilla Games is an interesting one because it has just put out Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, but has also been teasing what's to come in Horizon 3 - or whatever it's ultimately called. 

As a die-hard Aloy fan, obviously, that's high up my list of wants to get any kind of teaser for, but purely because of the proximity to Burning Shores' release, it feels too early to see anything quite yet for a Horizon Forbidden West sequel.

I'm going to take a little break to get a sandwich, but there are plenty more speculations to be had so stay tuned! 

Well hello there! I'm back, and it's really really warm out there folks. Wear sunscreen!

Right, where were we... PlayStation Studios!

So, we've talked about plenty so far, but what about Santa Monica. Well, November saw the release of God of War Ragnarok, which isn't looking like it'll get any DLC.

Game Director Eric Williams said on Kinda Funny Games that the team "put everything we had into it, so I wouldn't count on it."

But, Cory Barlog teased that he was working on a sci-fi project way back in 2019. It's not officially been announced or revealed, so that feels prime for an unveiling today.

Now, Naughty Dog is an entirely different proposition because thanks to Summer Game Fest last year, we know exactly what it's working on. 

The Last of Us is getting a massive standalone multiplayer game set in San Francisco,  and according to Neil Druckmann we'll hear "much more" about it this year.

 "It's an interesting experience for me because it's the first Last of Us game where I'm not the primary writer, I'm not the primary director," Druckmann said on the HBO Spoilercast for The Last of Us TV Show.

"What the team has put together is so cool. It's very different from what I would do but that's part of the exciting thing about it, with other people playing in this world," Druckmann continued.

It's apparently just "as big as one of our single-player games". 

PlayStation just dropped the YouTube link for the showcase, so bookmark it now friends.

So that's the core PlayStation Studios then, so what else could we see later? 

PlayStation also states it'll include games from "third-party partners and indie creators", so the potential remit of this PlayStation Showcase is huge. You can fit a surprising amount of reveals and updates into an "a little over an hour" showcase time!

PlayStation has also said it'll focus on "PSVR 2 games in development from top studios around the world". 

Now, PSVR 2 is a fantastic machine - I've played a lot behind the mask in the last few months - but it is lacking some big system sellers. Of course, Horizon: Call of the Mountain is fantastic, but otherwise we're mainly looking at re-releases of old games and some other new releases that aren't quite justifying the chunky price tag.

The one that could be interesting in that space is Firesprite. Acquired by Sony last year, Firesprite has made some excellent VR titles, and co-developed Horizon: Call of the Mountain. Could the British studio have something solo up its sleeves?

What time is the PlayStation Showcase in my timezone?

• 1PM PT
• 2PM MDT 
• 3PM CDT
• 4PM ET
• 9PM GMT
• 10PM CET
• 11PM EEST
• 5AM JST (May 25) 
• 4AM AWST (May 25)
• 6AM AEST (May 25)

The lovely Joe Donnelly has put together some excellent PlayStation Showcase predictions of his own. 

How do you think they stack up?

So, what else could we see? We already have quite a few new PS5 games that have been confirmed but lack release dates or have gone suspiciously quiet. 

For example, Insomniac's other superhero game - Marvel's Wolverine. Announced back in 2021, we've not heard anything about the title since. All we've had is a 53-second trailer, which essentially showcases the start of a bar fight in the Princess Bar – AKA Logan's home away from home on the island of Madripoor - and Wolverine's claws coming out. And... that's it! What a teaser eh?

I'd imagine it's too early for anything on Wolverine, but we can dream!

Or there's Death Stranding 2. Announced at The Game Awards back in December, we know it's another PlayStation exclusive game, which makes it rather appropriate to feature here - although Keighley and Kojima's friendship could mean it's a Summer Game Fest featurette. It's early days for this game too, development wise, so maybe it's a little soon for any further updates.

And that's Sam signing off for now, I'm passing over to the much funnier Rollin to take you through the next few hours of chin-scratching and pondering! 👋

This is Rollin signing on! Goodness gracious, Sam. Calling me funny as you head out is a wee bit terrifying. Suddenly, I feel the need to be hilarious.

Um. Knock, knock?

While it is technically possible that the Star Wars: KOTOR remake makes an appearance today, it does seem rather unlikely. Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors declined to comment on the status of game earlier -- which reportedly wasn't going great as of last year.

But who knows? Maybe the decline had more to do with the fact that more was coming later today, negating the need for comment. Maybe there will be a trailer of some sort at the PlayStation Showcase, or even a release date. Or maybe that's all just wishful thinking.

Given the timing, another potential candidate for today is Capcom's Street Fighter 6. The upcoming fighting video game concluded an Open Beta over the last weekend, and it's set to release on June 2 for the PS5, PS4, PC, and Xbox Series X.

And suddenly, there's a PlayStation Showcase that just so happens to thread the needle between those two dates? It almost seems too perfect. What Capcom could possibly announce is anyone's guess as it certainly seems like the game's initial roster is set and public knowledge. Much like Jello, however, there is always room for more.

Speaking of video games with suspiciously near release dates, it seems fairly certain that we might hear more about Final Fantasy 16 from Square Enix. After all, it is set to release on June 22 for the PS5 only. That seems like exactly the sort of thing a PlayStation Showcase would, well, showcase.

Some chunky previews, including one from our own Iain Harris, dropped earlier this week, so what better way to follow up on what seems to have been largely positive impressions than to show off more of the game to the public? It's also already known that there will be a Final Fantasy 16 demo, so the timing seems right for a surprise release of that, or at least an announcement of when it's coming.

Speaking of Square Enix and the Final Fantasy franchise, there's actually another major Final Fantasy title that's currently expected to release for the PS5 by the end of the year: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Relatively little is known about the second game in a trilogy of new Final Fantasy 7 titles at this point despite what is an increasingly closer launch window that was revealed as "next Winter" in June 2022. That said, the first look trailer featured Cloud and Sephiroth exploring some familiar territory outside of Midgar in addition to some teasing of Zack's role... it's all a bit mysterious still, but perhaps not for much longer.

90 MINUTES TO GO

We're just an hour and a half away from things kicking off! Set your timers, folks!

Could today finally be the day that we see more of Capcom's Pragmata? Originally announced back at E3 2020 for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, the game slipped to a 2023 release window near the end of 2021 and... hasn't really been heard from since.

The title's setting is "a dystopian near-future on Earth's Moon," according to the initial announce, that is "an unforgettable adventure." It seems to feature space? And a little blonde girl (?), and a holographic cat? It's all a bit vague right now, but maybe that all changes in a couple of hours.

1 HOUR TO GO

The PlayStation Showcase will start in one hour! You have been warned!

What seems far more likely to make an appearance today is Lords of the Fallen from Hexworks. The rebooted title finally got an official gameplay trailer earlier this month and an official release date of October 13. There's not really all that long before the latest Soulslike comes out.

The dark fantasy action-RPG making an appearance at the PlayStation Showcase today makes a lot of sense, but if it does somehow skip it, it all but confirms an appearance at one of the several upcoming events in the month to follow around Summer Game Fest given the developer finally seems ready to show it off in earnest.

30 MINUTES TO GO

Just 30 minutes to go until the PlayStation Showcase. Time to gather your snacks and the like.

Look, this is not the best place to share this news, but Tina Turner's died. I share this with you not because it's the best or most appropriate place for it, but because the news broke and we're all here together, and maybe now we'll all listen to some Tina before the PlayStation Showcase starts properly. I share this because my mom's going to be devastated, and I think I'll call her soon.

15 MINUTES TO GO

That's your 15-minute warning klaxon, so get comfy now!

Not long to go now! And that might mean... not long before the reveal of a Metal Gear Solid 3 remake. Yes, really. Rumors have circulated for years about such a thing from Konami, but a report today from Windows Central states in no uncertain terms that we should expect the remake at today's PlayStation Showcase.

Does that mean it is guaranteed to make an appearance? No, of course not. Does it make it far more like than not, despite the fact that it would be a truly wild reveal? Yes. Yes, it does.

According to the report, the MGS3 remake will be multiplatform across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, so if it is real then expect to see a lot of it over the next month.

That'll do it for me; Rollin signing off. Sam's back to shepherd us all through the PlayStation Showcase proper. (She is also funny, to be clear.)

Okay folks, Sam's back! Let's GOOOOOO

Is it me or is this music badass?

We are STAYING TUNED

Okay, let's do this! The PlayStation Showcase is starting now!

Haven title up first... That's Jade Raymond's new studio

Heist game by the looks, with a PayDay vibe

Lots of gadgets, which is giving it a Watch Dogs vibe to me

Seemingly PvP heists, with two teams of three trying to get to a safe

It's called Fairgame - coming to PS5 and PC!

Jimmy Ryan's here to chat all things PS5 - and we're talking about being in the third year of the PS5 now. Can't believe it's actually been that long!

Now we're taking a trip to Super Earth with some killer bugs... oh wait. It's a mock advert! Sneaky

Helldivers? Did I hear that right?

Is this a reimagining of the 2015 top-down shooter? 

Helldivers 2 - coming to PS5 and PC in 2023. A sequel then!

Next up we've got an EA Original - this is Immortals of Aveum, which we recently previewed.

Lengthy segment for this magic FPS that I'm very hyped for

505 Games up now with developer One More Level. We've got a sci-fi theme with a robot riding a bad ass motorbike

Ghostrunner 2 coming to PS5 later this year.

66 days to live in this one

These are very much weapons that you don't want to mess with. Lots of Samurai action going on here

I will suck at this game. I can tell you that for free.

It's called Phantom Blade 0. Coming to PS5. No word on a release date for this one. 

OMG IS IT JOURNEY 2

It has to be, right?

Giant Squid presents.... come on give us the name. 

We've got lots of sand, dolphins in the sky, and skateboarding. 

It's called Sword of the Sea and it's coming to PS5. Journey 2 in all but name perhaps?

Talos Principle 2 announced there with a very intriguing trailer. Coming to PS5 in 2023.

A game where you play as a Swallow from the creators of Gris up next. Oh wait, maybe a lady with animal friends

I'm not down with giant mystical wolf killing guys.

Oh boy, this one is going to be a tearjerker isn't it.

Coming 2024 and it's called Neva. Looks absolutely beautiful.

Cat Quest.... coming 2024. Terrible cat pun involved.

Square Enix enters the room with a glorious neon sign.

PvP Square Enix game with excellet ray-tracing going on here

Are we surfing on foam here? It's got Splatoon vibes!

It looks ooookay gameplay wise, but those cut scenes are slick. Coming to PS4 and PS4 it's called Foamstars. 

The Plucky Squire looks so cool! Already announced, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a release date.

Coming 2023. I'll take it.

Teardown coming to PS5?

Excellent voxel heist game this one, which has been excellent on PC.

Here's Foamstars for you >>>

Teardown coming to PS5 this year.

Oh gosh, that's some high-rez ants right there.

Is this a twisted David Attenborough documentary?

OMG our team were just joking it would be a snake-eater joke and here we are. Snake's back with Metal Year Solid Snake Eater

Coming to PS5 - no release date.

MGS Vol 1 collection also announced with just a slide!

MGS 1, 2 and 3 in one package. Coming Autumn 2023 on PS5.

SNAAAAAAAAAKE

Getting Kena and the Bridge of Spirits vibes from this next one, as you work to restore the lands. Lots of giant bugs and creatures.

Towers of Agashba is it's name.

Square Enix is back with something else now - ho boy this showcase is going FAST! We're half-way through

Final Fantasy 16 and its protagonist Clive is here. We predicted that there would be some kind of presence here for this, with the June 22 release date not far away now.

It's definitely the most dramatic trailer so far! Feeling it

Fun fact - Final Fantasy 16 is the 16th announcement in the show

Halfway point folks. It's been big so far

Alan Wake 2. I'd know that voice anywhere

Who's this FBI lady and IS THAT SAM LAKE

Holy crap, we're not playing as Alan Wake?

Holy moly, she's just found a very grubby and disheveled Alan Wake!

Have to say, this looks better than I could have even imagined. 

Coming October 17, 2023.

Assassin's Creed Mirage now. Give me a release date for Basim's adventures please!

Oh this looks gloriously Assassin's Creed 2 and I am SO here for it

October 12! Pre-orders open now. 

Also available on PS4.

Revenant Hill! Night in the Woods 2 essentially?!

Granblue Fantasy Re:Link coming Winter 2023.

Capcom here now with Street Fighter 6 - just a few weeks ahead of its June 2 release date.

Good look at so many of the Street Fighter 6 roster here with their PS5 glowups.

Wow, what is this? 70s color scheme and psychadelic monsters.

It's called Ultros and it's coming in 2024.

Tower of Fantasy up now 

Swimming confirmed??

Dragon's Dogma 2 is here!

I'm pleased there's a dragon in this trailer.

No release date for Dragon's Dogma 2.

Five Nights at Freddy's Help Wanted announced for late 2023.

We're onto PSVR 2 games now - I assume just for a little bit?

Resident Evil 4 VR coming to your eyeballs soon

No release date yet, just "in development"

Fred is dead in this new zombie VR game

Loving the little notes telling you what to do in scribbled handwriting. This guy is having a good time.

Arizona Sunshine 2 this is! And it's coming this year.

Smilegate Entertainment up next with Crossfire Sierra Squad, the FPS title that's exclusive to PSVR 2. No release date again though!

NDreams new game here now - an update on one already announced.

I really love the look of this one, with its mix of gravity powers and guns.

Synapse is coming July 4.

Oh hello Beat Saber for PSVR 2

Queen Pack out and it's out today on PSVR 2

Another Bungie game, another giant moon.

It's called Marathon and I'm intrigued.

Oh heck, Bungie why you bringing Cayde-6 back into my life.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape Conference confirmed for August 22.

Concord coming to PS5 and PC 2024.

And here was me thinking Gran Turismo wouldn't feature... but it's the movie! Forgot about that one.

Jim Ryan's back! What's he up to

"Later this year we'll launch a dedicated device" for streaming!

8-inch HD screen. All the buttons of a DualSense. Cloud gaming handheld?

Also first ever earbuds!

and here's what it looks like

Kraven the Hunter vs Spider-Man!

Symbiote Spider-Man confirmed!

Oh Miles' has little squirrel wings on his suit!

What was that big flying thing that looks like Skarmony from Pokemon?

So it's Peter Parker with the Venom powers then eh?

"Harry's dying and he's the only one that can help"

Swinging from bridges and then jumping onto jetskis will never not look fun!

Looks like we'll be playing distinct bits of each mission as each of the Spider-Men - at least for this particular mission it seems.

Oh boy, Peter Parker is full of rage.

Lizard lurking in the river here

The more I see, the more I love!

Excellent setpieces as you'd hope from Insomniac's Spider-Man titles.

Uh oh, Pete's personality is changing and everyone knows it. 

Still no release date, still Fall 2023.

Well it looks like that's your fill folks, with this little round-up showing off some of the titles we just saw. 

Intriguing that there are still a lot of question marks and some big missing pieces!

Okay, right, let's take a look at rounding all of that up shall we!

Just in case you need it, here are all the new PSVR 2 announcements from the PlayStation Showcase

And here's Ali Jones with an initial reaction on the PlayStation Showcase

Even with a few big hitters missing, the PlayStation Showcase was nearly perfect
Opinion| With its action-packed showcase, Sony has cemented its position as leader of the pack

Morning folks, it's Sam here in the UK again. We'll be updating this blog throughout the day to keep you abreast of all the other interesting tidbits we're finding from last night's showcase and the games on show there.

First up, according to Insomniac The Spider-Man 2 release date reveal is coming "soon". Surely it's prime for a dedicated PlayStation State of Play soon?

Insomniac has said "watching your reactions today has been spectacular" after last night's showcase, but does acknowledge there are still a lot of questions to answer.

If you have questions about what's new for Snake, Metal Gear Solid 3 remake is a "faithful" story recreation, but offers evolved gameplay and visuals.

Physical fans, please note - Alan Wake is getting a digital-only release to help keep its price at $60.

"Not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game at $59.99 / €59.99 and the PC version at $49.99 / €49.99," reads an FAQ published after the showcase aired.

OPINION

Opinion time! Joe Donnelly thinks Spider-Man 2's spectacle looks amazing, but I want to see more of its GTA 5-style character switching

Related to that, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 ends an 18-year wait to return to Queens, and fans are buzzing.

Back over in Metal Gear land, Metal Gear Solid 3 remake's level design looks identical to the original. Thanks to some official screenshots, we can see just how close they come to the original game's level design.

Oh wow, you guys have been busy! The secret Marathon trailer unlocked through community sleuthing confirms you won't hear more about the game for a while.

In the secret trailer, general manager Scott Taylor says that now that the reveal is out of the way, "we are going to go dark for a while - for an extended period - while we focus on developing and playtesting the game. Next time you hear from us, we're gonna be much closer to release, and we'll be ready to reveal gameplay."

OPINION

Joe Donnelly has all the opinions today, including I thought Spider-Man 2 couldn't match the first game – it took less than 10 seconds to change my mind.

Honestly, Venom Spidey has so much power.

Alan's next adventure is going to be lengthy in the end, as Remedy has confirmed that Alan Wake 2 will get free DLC and two full expansions.

"We will be supporting Alan Wake 2 post-launch with both free content as well as two paid expansions. The expansions are called Night Springs and the Lake House, but that's all we are going to tell you about them. For now," the official blog post reads, ending on the promise of a reveal soon.

This one made me so confused last night, because that little cat is a total dupe for Mae from Night in the Woods. But, Revenant Hill deliberately uses the same art style, and is being made by some of the original developers. 

Speaking about the reveal, The Night in the Woods dev sure had a stressful night, but promises to talk "much more" about Revenant Hill soon. 

Sometimes with big events like the PlayStation Showcase, it's as much about what wasn't show as what was. That's exactly what Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fans are thinking, as the community is in shambles over PlayStation Showcase no-show. 

Is it a triangle? Is it a delta symbol? A typo? Well, the MGS3 dev has explained 'Metal Gear Solid Triangle' confusion, but fans are still finding it all a bit much.

So, following plenty of fan confusion, Konami put out the following on Twitter:

“The Delta symbol was chosen because its meaning fits the concept of the remake project. Delta means ‘change’ or ‘difference’ without changing structure.”

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 could be pointing to a very different take on Venom, or so that's what fans think. They're of the belief that Insomniac's effort might be gearing for a twist on the traditional portrayal of Venom. 

OPINION

Joe Donnelly says that if you think the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake reveal was too cheesy you weren't there the first time around. I think he might be right!

Ah the console wars continue, but Xbox picked the best/worst time to remind fans that it's also getting some of those PlayStation Showcase games

OPINION

Our resident Remedy expert, Josh West, says Alan Wake 2 isn't what I was expecting, and it's all the better because of it

OPINION

Next up, we've got Duncan Robertson wondering exactly who PlayStation's new streaming handheld is for. He thinks that PlayStation's Project Q is missing the handheld mark, here's why

Sasuke Uchiha, is that you? We didn't expect to hear Naruto's most emo ninja during the Marvel's Spider-Man 2 trailer, but we're here for it. 

OPINION

Phantom Blade Zero is the perfect post-Elden Ring tonic I've been waiting for, says Joe Donnelly with his final opinion of the day. I've not heard of Rainblood but this does look epic.