A goose with your skillset must be able to honk freely, unconstricted. They must be versatile, capable, adaptable. They must be grounded, stable, constant. I believe you are ready, goose. Honk.
That isn’t quite what Keanu Reeves’ talkative tailor says in the reveal trailer for Space Marine 2 devs Saber’s Untitled John Wick Game, but it’s what I heard. The stubbled and suited hitman’s latest journey into videogamedom is touted as an uber-faithful putting of Wick’s cinematic martial arts brawling and gunfighting into your hands, but until Saber prove otherwise, I’m treating it as a spiritual twin to House House’s Untitled Goose Game.
The lovely, heartfelt 2D adventure Neva is getting a paid DLC expansion, and it’ll cost you less than the vast majority of Starbucks’ menu.
Launching on 19th February, Neva: Prologue will set you back a mere £2.49 in the UK and will reveal how the game’s key protagonists, Alba and Neva, first became involved with one another.
Sega has written off $200 million of its $776 million acquisition of Angry Birds maker, Rovio, stating the “profitability of [the mobile] business had fallen below the initial forecast” — corporate speak for, ‘this hasn’t made us as much money as we thought it would.’
Sega confirmed back in April 2023 plans to purchase Angry Birds developer Rovio for $776 million, with Rovio’s mobile game expertise intended to help boost Sega’s own position in the mobile market. The acquisition completed in September that same year.
Now, in its most recent financial report, Sega Sammy said that while Rovio was “a company with strong development and operational capabilities in the mobile game area, a sector with major growth potential,” the “business environment in the global mobile game market [has] rapidly changed, with multiple major titles emerging within a short period, and competition for customer acquisition [is] intensifying.” Which is why it’s now alerting shareholders of “extraordinarily losses and revision of operating results forecast.”
“Rovio found it difficult to advance its initially planned business development, and the profitability of this business has fallen below the initial forecast,” Sega admitted.
Because the “recoverable amount” related to the buyout fell “significantly” short, the company has written off $198 million (¥30.4 billion), essentially downgrading the value of Rovio to around $578 million — $200m less than it paid for it.
Rovio is just one of the companies Sega owns. It is also home to Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment, Two Point Campus developer Two Point Studios, and perhaps most notably, Persona developer Atlus.
And on the plus side, Sega’s tentpole Sonic series continues to impress. IGN’s Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds review returned an Amazing 9/10 when it released in September 2025. “Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds fires on all cylinders with a fantastic roster, excellent courses, and lengthy list of customization options,” we wrote at the time.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
A developer who worked on Highguard has discussed the “hate” he received after the free-to-play shooter debuted at December’s The Game Awards, saying the game, and by extension its team, “turned into a joke from minute one, largely due to false assumptions about a million-dollar ad placement.”
Just two weeks after the free-to-play game’s January 26 launch, yesterday Wildlight let go all but a “core group of developers” despite the newly unveiled Episode 2, and despite debuting in the top 10 in weekly active users on US Steam, and the top 20 on both US PlayStation and Xbox.
Now, in a candid statement posted to X/Twitter, tech artist and rigger Josh Sobel — who was one of those let go — talked about the impact of the launch on himself and the wellbeing of the entire team.
“The day leading to The Game Awards 2025 was amongst the most exciting of my life. After 2.5yrs of passionately working on Highguard, we were ready to reveal it to the world. The future seemed bright. Everyone I knew who had any connection to the team or project had the same [positive] sentiments,” he wrote, adding that “unbiased” internal pre-reveal feedback was “quite positive,” and when it was negative, “it was constructive, and often actionable.”
“But then the trailer came out, and it was all downhill from there,” Sobel added. “Content creators love to point out the bias in folks who give positive previews after being flown out for an event, but ignore the fact that when their negative-leaning content gets 10x the engagement of the positive, they’ve got just as much incentive to lean into a disingenuous direction, whether consciously or not.
“The hate started immediately. In addition to dogpiling on the trailer, I personally came under fire due to my naïveté on Twitter, which almost all of my now-former coworkers had learned to avoid during their previous game launches,” he explained. “After setting my Twitter account to private to protect my sanity, many content creators made videos and posts about me and my cowardice, amassing millions of views and inadvertently sending hundreds of angry gamers into my replies. They laughed at me for being proud of the game, told me to get out the McDonald’s applications, and mocked me for listing having autism in my bio, which they seemed to think was evidence the game would be ‘woke trash.’ All of this was very emotionally taxing.”
Sobel acknowledged that there’s “much constructive criticism” about Highguard’s trailer, marketing, and launch, but also isn’t sure if things would’ve been any better had the game not been announced at The Game Awards.
“We were turned into a joke from minute one, largely due to false assumptions about a million-dollar ad placement, which even prominent journalists soon began to state as fact,” Sobel said. “Within minutes, it was decided: this game was dead on arrival, and creators now had free ragebait content for a month. Every one of our videos on social media got downvoted to hell. Comments sections were flooded with copy/paste meme phrases such as ‘Concord 2’ and ‘Titanfall 3 died for this.’ At launch, we received over 14k review bombs from users with less than an hour of playtime. Many didn’t even finish the required tutorial.
“In discussions online about Highguard, [Sony’s troubled live-service shooter] Concord, [Riot’s recently launched] 2XKO, and such, it is often pointed out by gamers that devs like to blame gamers for their failures, and that that’s silly. As if gamers have no power. But they do. A lot of it. I’m not saying our failure is purely the fault of gamer culture and that the game would have thrived without the negative discourse, but it absolutely played a role. All products are at the whims of the consumers, and the consumers put absurd amounts of effort into slandering Highguard. And it worked.”
As a consequence of this, Sobel said many of Highguard’s hitherto independent team will “now be forced” to return to the corporate industry “many gamers accused Wildlight of being a part of.”
“If this pattern continues, all that will be left are corporations, at least in the multiplayer space. Innovation is on life support,” he added. “Even if Highguard had a rocky launch, our independent, self-published, dev-led studio full of passionate people just trying to make a fun game, with zero AI, and zero corporate oversight…deserved better than this. We deserved the bare minimum of not having our downfall be gleefully manifested.”
Sobel finished on wishing the colleagues that remain at Wildlight “the best of luck,” and thanked a slew of “incredibly supportive journalists and creators” for their “empathy, intuition, and integrity.”
“Some of the best times of my life were spent with [the techart team],” he concluded.
A number of high-profile video game developers defended Highguard following the online backlash during the game’s launch. Developers from the likes of Baldur’s Gate 3 studio Larian, as well as Fortnite maker Epic, have hit out at the discourse surrounding Highguard, and the internet’s capacity to “hate” on video games at launch. Developers like Cliff Bleszinski of Gears of War fame, Epic executive Mark Rein, and Larian boss Swen Vincke spoke up against, in particular, negativity from critics.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Sharpen your fangs and chuck out all of the garlic bread in your house, Castlevania’s back with a new game co-developed by the folks who made roguelike-Metroidvania Dead Cells. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is the name of this fresh bout of vampire whippage set in medieval Paris, which publishers Konami have teased is just the first of many Castlevania things they have coming as the series turns 40.
Konami is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Castlevania series this year, and the celebrations officially began today with the announcement of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse for multiple platforms including Switch.
At the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in Las Vegas tonight Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took home an impressive five of the awards across 23 categories, including Game of the Year.
The Sandfall Interactive game has been a critical hit and a stand out at award shows since it was released in April 2025, and the development team was even given the status of Knight under the French Order of Arts and Letters in recognition of its work.
Ghost of Yotei took home three awards, including Outstanding Achievement in Character, while Arc Raiders won Online Game of the Year. Naughty Dog’s Evan Wells, former president and co-founder at the studio, was inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame.
“The games recognized at this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards showcase the extraordinary range of talent and creativity that define our industry,” said Meggan Scavio, President of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
“It’s inspiring to see how these developers continue to elevate interactive entertainment through innovation, storytelling, and meaningful player experiences.”
This year the DICE Summit also marked the passing of Vince Zampella, the co-creator of the Call of Duty franchise, co-founder of Infinity Ward, and co-founder of Respawn Entertainment, who passed in December 2025. Hideo Kojima, Phil Spencer, Todd Howard and others from across the industry spoke about how his work had impacted both the world of video games, and them as people.
DICE Awards 2026 Winners
Outstanding Achievement in Animation – South of Midnight
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Outstanding Achievement in Character – Ghost of Yōtei – Atsu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition – Ghost of Yōtei
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Outstanding Achievement in Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Outstanding Technical Achievement – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Action Game of the Year – Hades II
Adventure Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
Family Game of the Year – LEGO® Party!
Fighting Game of the Year – Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
Racing Game of the Year – Mario Kart World
Role-Playing Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Sports Game of the Year – Rematch
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year – The Alters
Online Game of the Year – Arc Raiders
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement – Hotel Infinity
Immersive Reality Game of the Year – Ghost Town
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game – Blue Prince
Mobile Game of the Year – Persona5: The Phantom X
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design – Blue Prince
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Rachel Weber is the Head of Editorial Development at IGN and an elder millennial. She’s been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, Red Dead Redemption 2, and her Love and Deepspace boyfriends.
After multiple reports of a second collection, Konami has today officially confirmed Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 is on its way to the Switch and Switch 2 on 27th August 2026.
Like the original volume, this will also be getting a physical release. Konami has outlined exactly what you can expect, and unsurprisingly, it’s a Game-Key Card release on the Switch 2. And on the original Switch it appears you’ll also be required to download the collection.
Following the reveal of a second collection today, Konami has updated the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for the Switch 2. According to its official Japanese website, this update comes with the following:
Improved image resolution
Free high-resolution assets available
Distribution of a free update file to make it compatible with Nintendo Switch™ 2 specifications
This again follows the announcement of a second collection, which will be made available on the Switch 2 and Switch this August.
Packed show, right? Clocking in at just over an hour, today’s State of Play ran the gauntlet of exciting updates to upcoming SIE Studios titles and games coming from our third party partners, as well as surprise new reveals and upcoming demos. Oh, and there was the small matter of God of War, with the announcement of a remake of the original God of War trilogy and the surprise reveal of God of War Sons of Sparta, which is out now on PS5.
We’ve got the full show for you to rewatch below. Underneath that, we recap all the key details of every announcement and include the full trailers for your viewing pleasure, and for several titles, further details and insight by the game creators in a selection of dedicated PlayStation Blog articles.
007 First Light
State of Play debuted a brand-new story trailer for 007 First Light, offering PlayStation 5 players a deeper look at IO Interactive’s original take on the origin of James Bond. The video offers a glimpse of Bond’s exploits in Iceland, which puts him on MI6’s radar as a potential recruit for its newly revived 00 programme. The programme will see Bond cross paths with its training instructor, former 00 agent John Greenway, with two needing to work together to take on 009, a former British operative now turned rogue and on the loose.
Following up from last December’s reveal, Bad Robot Games Chief Creative Officer Mike Booth joined us at State of Play to delve into the core gameplay loop, mechanics and more of the four-player co-op shooter 4: Loop. You can check out the full breakdown in the video above, and read more from Booth in a dedicated PlayStation Blog article, including news on upcoming beta opportunities.
This one-person, one-dog action RPG launches on PS5 August 4. Set in sci-fi inspired far-future Japan against the backdrop of a devastated world, Beast of Reincarnation follows Emma, a blight-corrupted outcast and her four-legged companion Koo, a malefact whose kind is supposedly a danger to the world. You’ll need to switch between Emma’s real-time, sword-based combat and directing Koo through a command system similar to a turn-based RPG.
A blast from PlayStation’s strategic past returns this year in the form of Brigandine Abyss, a new entry in the single player fantasy strategy RPG, the first title of which was released on the original PlayStation back in 1998. Now, six years after the release of Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia, the series once again brings players to a fantasy world where battles take place on a hex grid.
Adventurers, get ready to crack that whip as the legendary 2D action-exploration series returns this year on PS5. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse recaptures the gothic action in a whole new way as development duties are shared between Konami, Evil Empire, and Motion Twin. New weapons and abilities join classic tools, all envisioned with a brand new art style.
Remedy Entertainment shares new details on Control Resonant’s shapeshifting weapons, navigating gravity anomalies, and more. Learn how you’ll navigate a Manhattan unpredictably reshaped by otherworldly forces and battle fearsome forces by using our own supernatural abilities, including a shapeshifting weapon.
Welcome to a gothic world full of angels, demons, and ancient gods. In this action-adventure RPG Crimson Moon, developed by ProbablyMonsters, you’ll battle alone or join forces with a friend. Be ready though, as co-op amplifies the intensity, with dynamic difficulty scaling and enemy composition ensuring every mission feels fresh and personal. Whether fighting side-by-side or carving your own path, the goal remains the same. Purge the darkness and reclaim the city. The game launches later this year on PS5.
Octopus Darwin slithered into State of Play with two announcements. First, a release date: April 2. Secondly, the surprise announcement, not only of a demo, but a demo that will be available tomorrow, and that demo’s content is directly inspired by Metal Gear Solid! Play the Tactical Octopus Action demo tomorrow on PS5, and pre-order the full game to get two exclusive skins.
Dead or Alive 6 Last Round
A double hit of Dead or Alive news at State of Play. First off, Dead or Alive 6 Last Round will be slugging its way onto PS5 on June 25. This definitive version of the 2019 brawler will launch simultaneously with both standard and free-to-play editions, with the latter featuring 4 fighters from the fuller 29-strong roster. And Team Ninja confirmed work is underway on a brand new entry into the series, sharing a first tease, which you can watch above.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach comes to PC on March 19, with pre-purchase starting today on Steam and Epic Games. New features and modes will be part of that release, and they’ll also be available on PS5 the same day as a game update! More details on those will be revealed in the future.
Two big announcements from Santa Monica Studio concluded today’s State of Play. First, confirmation that a remake of the God of War Greek trilogy is in early development. Secondly, the studio has partnered with Mega Cat Studios to create 2D action platformer God of War Sons of Sparta, which is out today on PS5!
Strike through March 10 on your calendars warriors, as that’s the day Ghost of Yōtei Legends launches. This supernaturally-charged, cooperative multiplayer update, will be available to all Ghost of Yōtei players as part of the game’s 1.5 update. With distinct character classes to learn and earn cosmetics for, three mission types to conquer and the promise of a Raid in the coming months, you better warm up that sword arm.
Saber Interactive is working with the creators of the action movie franchise to create a previously unseen chapter in the life of John Wick, which lets you play as the Baba Yaga himself. The studio is promising the signature elements from John Wick movies to be present in the game, from the unique use of camerawork; bold and cinematic environments; and extremely distinctive gun-fu action and intense driving experiences. The game is coming to PS5, but release date and official title is not yet known.
Ember Lab returns with an all-new adventure as an older, renowned Spirit Guide Kena travels to the mysterious island of Kosmora. Spirit companions will be a big part of Kena’s journey, charming buddies that travel with you, grow over time, and unlock new powers as your bond deepens. There’s still spirits to be cleansed, and new elemental gameplay expands the strategy and depth to combat. Kena: Scars of Kosmora launches this year on PS5 and PC.
The remastered dark fantasy classic launches March 3 on PS5 and PS4, with a robust set of new features to get your fangs into. Alongside refinements to visuals, controls, and camera design for modern audiences, and a host of archival content, the game’s Deluxe Edition will feature a playable demo of Defiance’s cancelled sequel, Dark Prophecy.
It’s not long until Marathon’s launch on March 5, but players eager to start their exploration of Tau Ceti IV won’t even need to wait that long: Bungie has announced n Server Slam on Feb 26. PS5 players will be able to experience select content from the full game, as well as earn a tiered gear package and grab a special emblem and banner which will be available in the full experience. Oh, and the studio also came to State of Play with a brand-new gameplay trailer in tow.
Ready those colorful costumes, superhero fans. MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls punches onto PS5 and PC August 6, with pre-orders opening Feb 19. Alongside the release date, State of Play revealed three new additions to the roster in the form of Magik, Wolverine and Danger, and in a supporting PlayStation Blog article, the creators confirmed an Episode Mode and detailed the different editions that’ll be available at PlayStation Store.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 launches August 27 this year on PS5. Packaging together Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and the series’ first portable title Metal Gear: Ghost Babel as a bonus title along with some extras that’ll thrill long-term fans of Konami’s stealth series.
Shovel Knight studio Yacht Games joined State of Play to share new gameplay and a PS5 demo for Mina the Hollower. The action adventure launches this spring on PS5, and promises to be the creator’s largest game yet, boasting a densely packed world with over 25 unique bosses, 60 trinkets to discover, weapon upgrades, a level up system, new game plus, hundreds of gameplay modifiers, a fishing mini-game, tons of puns, and so much more. You can try it yourself tomorrow, when a limited time demo drops on PS5.
Set years before the events of the original game, this prologue tells the story of how Alba and the wolf cub Neva first met. You must guide the cub through the blighted wilderness, facing new enemies and endure perilous trials together. New gameplay mechanics and all new locations are promised. This DLC launches February 19.
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PlayStation Plus
Multiple games were announced to be coming to PlayStation Plus. Co-op puzzler Big Walk is launching day one into PlayStation Plus Monthly Games later this year, while PlayStation Plus Premium members can enjoy two Classics in the form of Tekken Dark Resurrection (originally released on PSP), out March, and Time Crisis, out May.
February’s Game Catalog lineup was also announced at State of Play. Quickly swap between both Spider-Men as you explore an expanded Marvel’s New York in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, race for supremacy across a shared open world in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, embark on an intimate, emotional journey through a fading land in Neva, or capture fleeting moments on a reflective road trip in Season: A Letter to the Future. Meanwhile, Disney Pixar Wall-E brings platform adventure to PlayStation Plus Premium. All these titles and more are available in February’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog from February 17.
Today’s State of Play brought us a closer look at Capcom’s new intriguing sci-fi adventure,giving us a glimpse into its world and the threats that protagonists Hugh and his android companion Diana will face. Get ready to hack and fight your way through enemy threats April 24 on PS5.
Project Windless
Coming to PS5, Project Windless is a dark fantasy open-world action RPG inspired by the Korean novel series The Bird That Drinks Tears. The game will tap into a point thousands of years before the source material, having you play as one of the Rekons, a nomadic warrior race of humanoid birds, known for their immense physical strength and size.
The classic 1995 platformer receives a feature-packed Anniversary Edition, and it’s launching digitally on PS5 February 13! Developed by Digital Eclipse, this definitive edition lets you play multiple versions of the original, take on 120 additional levels pulled from the bonus level packs. It includes a faithfully reimagined soundtrack by composer Christophe Héral, optional enhanced gameplay features, an interactive documentary and a never-before-playable prototype, giving you an inside look at how Rayman’s gameplay was developed.
We’re just over two weeks away from Capcom’s latest installment of its iconic horror series, launching on February 27. At State of Play, the publisher debuted the game’s launch trailer, which was full of new tantalizing story teases and powerful action beats. Sit back, and enjoy the new footage.
Rev.Noir
Konami brought the first glimpse of their new JPRG to State of Play. Rev.Noir is set in a world played by a deadly phenomenon known as lightfall, which instantly kills anyone it touches. The story follows a memory-lost boy and a mysterious girl as they set out on a journey to put an end to the catastrophe.
Saros
Housemarque unpacked some of the tantalizing gameplay features of its sci-fi shooter ahead of its April 30 launch on PS5. Armor upgrades to better fit your playstyle, an intriguing Modifier system to let you adjust Carcosa’s dangers to your tastes. Fast travel to unlocked biomes. Then there’s the world-altering eclipse events which escalate the threat against you, as corruption affects enemies, weapons and artifacts. A challenge not for the fainthearted.
This new entry into the horror franchise offers a new town to explore, horrific enemies to fight and evade, and story-driven puzzles that help deliver a new but distinctly Silent Hill tale of mystery, tragedy and loss. The perspective shifts to first person, and a new yet-retro portable CRT TV device will be both a useful tool in encounters and a way to unveil more of the story.
Take part in a runs-based, high-stakes reinvention of racing born in the lawless Outer Rim of the Star Wars galaxy, coming to PS5 later this year. Today we got a first glimpse of gameplay, spanning different planets, and highlighting different racing vehicles and characters, all of whom are competing in the unsanctioned racing circuit where only the bold survive.
Yakoh Shinobi Ops
Four player online, isometric shinobi action sneaks onto PS5 next year in the form of Yakoh Shinobi Ops. Work together to infiltrate heavily guarded enemy territory, combining your unique ninjutsu abilities to avoid traps, evade soldiers and escape an ever-present, unstoppable Pursuer who threatens to end your run prematurely.
