Pre-show Analysis: A deep dive into the PlayStation event of the year

Brothers and sisters, lay down your swords, our watch is ended.

A new PlayStation Showcase has finally been announced, ending the 20 month drought!

Save the date, set your alarm clock, and get your mum to send a reminder message; the PlayStation Showcase will go live at 6AM AEST on May 25.

The hype surrounding the presentation is understandably through the roof!

It’ll run a little over an hour, and focus on PS5 and PS VR2 games. There’ll be plenty of first-looks at new games from PlayStation first-party studios, third-party partners and Indie developers.

But what can we ACTUALLY expect? Other than Spider-Man 2, Wolverine and a Last of Us multiplayer game, there’s very little else that has been officially confirmed.

So, we’ve trawled through tweets, blog posts and interviews to bring you our informed predictions for what the entirety of PlayStation’s first-party studios are working on, with some spicy rumours thrown in for good measure!

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PlayStation First-party Studios

Insomniac Games

Insomniac are a lock, take it to the bank! With Spider-Man 2 set to release later this year, it’s a certainty we will see it in the showcase.
Spider-Man 2 recently got a prequel comic, covering what Pete, Miles and MJ have been up to since we last saw them, so the web-slinging marketing machine is already in full swing! I’d expect a chunky gameplay trailer, and if we’re lucky, a release date attached.

Insomniac also had a Wolverine game in development but I very much doubt we’ll see more from that until SM2 is out.

Santa Monica Studio

Santa Monica Studio is a bit harder to pick, they released God of War Ragnarok late last year, so normally I wouldn’t be expecting anything from them. Though, after handing the GOW reins to Eric Williams, Cory Barlog has been working on SOMETHING, so we may see whatever that is.

Interestingly, Head of PlayStation Studios, Hermen Hulst paid a visit to Santa Monica Studio just 2 days before the showcase was announced… If walls could talk.

Naughty Dog

Last year at Summer Game Fest, a stand-alone multiplayer game set in The Last of Us world was officially revealed to be in development at Naughty Dog.

Neil Druckman himself has said that it’s going to be as big as their single-player games, in some ways bigger. It will also feature a full story, a brand-new cast of characters and take place in a different part of the U.S.

This coming showcase would be the perfect stage to give us our first real look at the game and it would be guaranteed to bring the house down, especially off the back of the hugely successful HBO series.

Bluepoint Games

Although Bluepoint is known for its exceptional remakes, President Marco Thrush has stated that their next project would be ‘original content’.

However, they’re also rumored to be working on a ‘remake of a beloved game’. Take that with a grain of salt, but with the recent rumours that Metal Gear Solid 3 will be getting a remake, I can’t help but think/hope… what if Bluepoint are the one remaking it!

I would put money on seeing something from Bluepoint at the showcase.

Guerrilla Games

In a recent message from Guerrilla Games management, they mention that they’re hard at work “…expanding the world of Horizon with Aloy’s next adventure and our exciting online project”.

That sounds like they’re working on Horizon 3, and considering how Horizon Forbidden West ended, a sequel was inevitable.

Thanks to a job posting, we also know that a Horizon multiplayer game is in the works, “Featuring a new cast of characters and a unique stylized look”. Which is most likely the aforementioned ‘exciting online project’.

There’s almost zero chance Horizon 3 will be at the showcase, though the online project is a possibility.

Sucker Punch Productions

I’ll eat my hat if Ghost of Tsushima 2 isn’t the next game from Sucker Punch, but it feels too early to see anything from it just yet, maybe we will get a CGI teaser.

Last year Sucker Punch broke hearts,  “…we have no plans to revisit inFAMOUS or Sly Cooper right now, and no other studio is currently working on projects related to those franchises either.”
So you can take those off your bingo card.

Bungie

After acquiring Bungie last year, PlayStation unveiled plans to release 10 live service games for the PS5 before 2026. Bungie’s live service knowledge and experience will be a big part of that, offering guidance to other PlayStation studios.

As to what we may see from them in a PlayStation Showcase, they’ve reportedly been working on a new multiplayer action game titled Matter.

Haven Studios

Haven Studios are working on a brand new AAA multiplayer experience, described as a “…systemic and evolving world focused on freedom, thrill, and playfulness that will keep players entertained and engaged for years”.

Assumedly one of the aforementioned live service games, I would be pleasantly surprised if this popped up at the showcase.

London Studio

Since releasing VR game Blood & Truth in 2019, London Studio has been hard at work on an ambitious new IP.

Their next project will be for the PS5, not VR, an online co-op combat game set in a modern fantasy London.

The concept art looks great! Vibrant, exciting, and there’s a freaking Dragon! It has the look of a hero-based PVE multiplayer.

Another live service game and another showcase possibility.

Firesprite

Having just released the flagship PS VR2 game, Horizon Call of the Mountain in collaboration with Guerrilla, we likely won’t see anything from Firesprite.

Though, according to a job listing, Firesprite is working on a “AAA narrative driven horror-adventure”.

They’re also rumored to be working on a Twisted Metal game after development was moved away from Lucid Games (Destruction AllStars).
There’s also a Twisted Metal TV show launching later this year, so it’d make sense to also have a game release to capitalize on the new fanbase.

Team Asobi

After the fantastic Astro’s Playroom, Team Asobi has been pretty quiet.

We know very little about what they’re working on, only that it’ll be their biggest project to date.

I would love to see their new game pop up at the showcase, it’s a real possibility.

Firewalk Studios

Firewalk Studios is the latest PlayStation acquisition. The studio was already working on an original AAA multiplayer game for PlayStation before being acquired.

The team is comprised of former Bungie, Respawn and Raven Software developers. So it’d be a pretty good bet that they’re working on a first-person shooter.

Your guess is as good as mine if it’ll show up at the showcase.

Bend Studios

After some turmoil at the studio and a rejected Days Gone 2 pitch, Bend Studios are currently working on a new IP that includes multiplayer and builds upon the open-world systems of Days Gone.

It’s been four years since Days Gone launched, so it might be time to see what they’ve been working on.
It’s not a new IP but I would love a surprise Syphon Filter revival.

Housemarque

As of Feb 2022, Housemarque’s next game was still in its conceptual stage.
CEO Ilari Kuittinen saying “…it’s early days with us starting a new game, a new IP, concepting it out.”
Sounds like their next game won’t be a Returnal sequel. Hopefully we get a tease of out what it’ll be at the showcase.

Polyphony Digital

In February, CEO of Polyphony Digital, Kazunori Yamauchi confirmed the next Gran Turismo is in development saying, “Actually, there is a theme. I’m starting to run towards the next one, but I can’t tell you yet.”

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Highly unlikely we’ll see anything from Polyphony Digital, so soon after GT7.

Media Molecule

Last month, Dreams users were notified that live service support for the game will be coming to an end in September. Then, Media Molecule co-founder and Dreams director Mark Healey left the studio shortly after.

We know that Media Molecule are moving forward and focusing on an ‘exciting new project’. What that could be is anyone’s guess, but there’s next to no chance it will appear at the showcase.

San Diego Studio

For a while now, San Diego Studio has been solely working on MLB games. With MLB The Show 23 recently releasing in March, it’s too early to show the next iteration. It’ll probably pop up in a State of Play closer to the end of the year.

PixelOpus

Earlier this month it was announced that PixelOpus, the studio behind Concrete Genie and Entwined will be shutting down in June.

They were collaborating with Sony Pictures Animation (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) on a new PlayStation 5 title made in Unreal Engine 5. Presumably, that game has been scrapped.

Third-party Partners

Square Enix

Final Fantasy XVI already got it’s own State of Play last month, diving deep into the world and systems.

But with its release just a month away and it being one of the few PS5 exclusives this year, I’d bet we get one final trailer at the coming showcase.

If we’re lucky, we may also see more from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Though with FF16 so close, Square Enix may not want to split audience attention.

Kojima Productions

Death Stranding 2 was officially announced last year at The Game Awards, with a chunky first trailer.

It’s hard to say how far along the game is but considering Sony owns the IP, it’s a good bet we’ll see it show up in some form.

Bloober Team

The Silent Hill 2 Remake will be a PlayStation 5 console exclusive and looks to be pretty far along in development, so it’s a good bet that it’ll be at the showcase.

Team Ninja

We got our first look at the breathtaking Rise of the Ronin in the Sept 2022 State of Play. The ambitious open-world action game is targeting a 2024 release date, my gut says it will make an appearance.

SHIFT UP

First appearing in the 2021 PlayStation Showcase and again in the Sept 2022 State of Play, Stellar Blade is set for release this year.

It’s likely we’ll get a final ‘release date’ trailer for this Sci-Fi Action game. 

We’re also bound to see some non-exclusive, third party games pop up.
Kingdom Hearts 4, Mortal Kombat 1, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, Sea of Stars and Eternights are at the top of my wishlist.

And I’ll thank whichever Gods will listen, if Little Devil Inside FINALLY gets a release date.

I’m sure there’ll be plenty of unpredictable surprises in there as well! One thing’s for sure, this is going to be one hell of a showcase.

You can watch it HERE when it goes live on May 25 at 6AM AEST.

We’ll bring you a full breakdown and deep dives into the most exciting reveals, so stay glued to Quest Daily.com.au for more.