Category: PlayStation

It has officially been one year since the launch of God of War Ragnarök. Since the very first time this game was announced, the support we felt from fans has been truly incredible. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to see players finally get ahold of the game and create so much wonderful conversation, content, and community around it.

As a thank you from all of us at Santa Monica Studio for your continued support of the games we make, we put together a few things to celebrate God of War Ragnarök officially turning one-year-old!

God of War Ragnarök Lofi Beats to Journal to

Join Atreus in the Realm Between Realms for a chill session of journaling, working, or beating up monsters. Featuring a mix of three tracks, you’ll recognize familiar songs from Bear McCreary’s iconic God of War Ragnarök and God of War (2018) scores with LoFi spin.  

We’re thrilled to be able to partner with the talented Alex Moukala (assisted by Lawrence Ravagnan) for the musical performance and the wonderful team at Spud Gun Studios for the animation on this piece.

God of War Ragnarök – Midgard Mishaps 2

A sequel to the first Midgard Mishaps we released after the launch of God of War (2018), this misadventure through game development captures some of the unintentionally hilarious moments that emerged during the creation of God of War Ragnarök.

A special thank you and shout-out to the QA teams at Santa Monica Studio and PlayStation whose work helped keep these mishaps out of the experience we were able to share with fans one year ago.

One Year Later Infographic

You all have been keeping Kratos busy in the Nine Realms over the last year. From comforting Best Girls Speki and Svanna to besting Valkyrie Queen Gná, we wanted to celebrate a selection of your many accomplishments in God of War Ragnarök.

Community Showcase – Combat Experts and Speedrunners

Whether doing no-hit Spartan Armor run or trying to beat the Berserkers as fast as possible, the God of War community has a ton of talented creators who have dedicated themselves towards mastering the combat with finesse.

Learn more about what it takes to be some of the best in the world at God of War’s combat in our latest community showcase.

Once again, we want to extend our gratitude to all the fans around the world who have shown support for God of War Ragnarök. It means everything to our team at Santa Monica Studio to be able to continue making games we love for players who enjoy them.

This last year has been truly amazing, thank you.  

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For the latest updates around God of War Ragnarök, make sure you follow Santa Monica Studio on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. To join the conversation with other fans, head to the official Santa Monica Studio Discord. God of War Ragnarök is available now.

Attention all PlayStation players, ready yourself for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. The war has changed, and for the first time in back-to-back years, Call of Duty returns with a direct sequel. The entire game, featuring the full Campaign, seminal Multiplayer, and all-new open-world Modern Warfare Zombies experience, launches on November 10.

Since the game’s reveal back on August 17, we’ve dropped a variety of important game innovations and revelations. We’ll share everything you need to know to prepare for Nov 10, plus some insider tips and tricks as you squad up and enter the fray with Modern Warfare III this week.

Campaign

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III campaign is the direct sequel to the events of Modern Warfare II. This time with an enemy, Vladimir Makarov, offering an existential challenge that’s unlike anything Task Force 141 have faced before.

As Task Force 141’s rules of engagement have changed to fight the ultimate threat, so does the way you approach the campaign. Modern Warfare III is set to redefine player agency, offering an unparalleled degree of freedom and adaptability thanks to Open Combat Missions. These new mission types are dispersed throughout the campaign in a seamless experience alongside the cinematic missions that have defined two decades of the franchise’s single-player experiences.

Prepare for uneasy alliances and unfinished business: To save a world on the brink, the time has come to confront your past….

Campaign: completion rewards.

The campaign consists of 15 different missions. Almost every one of these missions rewards players with items upon completion, which can be used across multiplayer and Zombies. These are available to all players, regardless of whether the campaign was played during the Early Access period or not.

Insider tip:

Open Combat Missions have plenty to discover each time you play them. When you load in be on the lookout for crates and weapons, as well as tacticals and lethals, that are scattered throughout the environment. If you want to try a stealth strategy in your first go, pick up those NVGs and throwing knives. If you want to pick up the pace a bit, feel free to replay the mission but utilize some of the more bombastic tools at your disposal. When you acquire weapons in each playthrough they get added to your inventory, so you have more options and more at your disposal each time you try a mission. Don’t be afraid to try something different each time… a little creativity can go a long way.

Multiplayer: maps and modes

Welcome home: Afghan. Derail. Estate. Favela. Karachi. Highrise. Invasion. Quarry. Rundown. Rust. Scrapyard. Skidrow. Sub Base. Terminal. Underpass. Wasteland — 16 Core Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps, constructed to maintain authenticity with a thorough modernization, will be available on launch day.

Expect a variety of launch modes, including 3v3v3, 6v6 and 32v32, scheduled for rotation in the available Playlists, with more being added in the following weeks.

Multiplayer: weapons

Modern Warfare III launches with an impressive arsenal of new weapons, to complement the armaments carrying forward from Modern Warfare II and the six seasons of weapon content from that title.

Expect the Modern Warfare III Gunsmith to be an approachable, familiar, and vastly customizable weapon builder. Its goal is to make nearly every weapon in the game a true extension of your personal playstyle.

But that’s not all, MWIII Multiplayer Operators have access to amped-up weapon functionality through the Aftermarket Parts feature, representing Gunsmith’s biggest change to the weapons you use. These parts drastically change the functionality and appearance of your weapon in some fun and unexpected ways.

Insider tips:

It’s all in the details! Prepare for matches in a new way, as perks have evolved to allow for more customization. Pick between a variety of vests, gloves, boots, and gear to create your ideal loadout… bonus points if each of these items complement one another to offer maximum effectiveness.

Ready to toggle Tac-Stance on? Tac-Stance is a new movement mechanic that is the perfect middle-ground between hip-fire and aiming downsights. Find the button combination that works best for you to employ Tac-Stance, since it’s an action that you will want to be able to go in-and-out of on a moment’s notice in order to maximize its effectiveness. There are several options to try, we encourage you to try different button combinations to find the best fit.

Watch out for that flash! If you’re looking to avoid obscured vision in the midst of a flash grenade, be sure to avert your eyes. If you see where the grenade falls, quickly look away before detonation and you’ll be able to continue on un-blinded and unhindered.

Modern Warfare Zombies

Welcome to Operation Deadbolt. Prepare for a massive, open-world experience as a team of multinational Operators assist the members of Task Force 141 in taking down not only the vast undead hordes, but also Viktor Zakhaev and his hired private military company, Terminus Outcomes.

Your main tasks – aside from surviving hordes of zombies and the machinations of the PMC group Terminus Outcomes – is threefold:

Operation Deadbolt: Unravel intel on this emergency contingency plan put into action by the CIA. In each mission, you will uncover more about this plan and how it came to fruition.

A world of opportunity: Complete Contracts to earn Essence, collect Acquisitions, and clear missions to discover what is really happening in the EZ.

Secure and extract: You also need to learn when the situation on the ground becomes advantageous as well as untenable. Immerse yourself and work with other players to complete the more difficult objectives, and extract before you’re overwhelmed.

Insider tip:

Looking for something? Perk machines are a well-known way in Call of Duty Zombies to boost your abilities in your fight against the undead. However, in addition to these in Modern Warfare Zombies, Perk-a-Colas can also be found in fridges around the open-world … but only if you’re lucky. You should be warned, this is a rare discovery so cherish every can you find.

Modern Warfare III launch

Modern Warfare III launches November 10, but there is still time to pre-order. PlayStation players who pre-order the game get access to the Lockpick Operator Pack for use in multiplayer and Zombies when the game launches.

We look forward to seeing you all in the lobbies starting November 10.

Next week marks the third year since PS5 launched and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank the more than 40 million players who’ve joined our global PS5 community. In these first three years, PlayStation Studios and third-party developers have introduced more than 2,500 PS5 games for players to enjoy, including fan-favorite titles in recent months like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Final Fantasy XVI.

We’re entering a holiday season with more console supply than we’ve had since the launch of PS5, including a new PS5 model in a smaller form factor. Players can also find PS5 bundles for Marvel’s Spider- Man 2, EA Sports FC 24, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

To celebrate this moment, we’re welcoming gamers around the world to experience the emotional power of immersive play on PS5 with our new spot, “Feel it Now on PlayStation 5.” Through the creative imagination of developers and innovative use of console features like 4K visuals, 3D audio, the ultra high-speed SSD, and the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, gaming on PS5 evokes heightened sensations. Our latest spot highlights the breadth of emotions players feel while exploring PS5 worlds, from a snapshot of fear, coming face to face with a Clicker from The Last of Us Part I, to the joy of meeting mooncalves from Hogwarts Legacy and befriending a frost wolf in Final Fantasy XVI.

Players in the U.S., U.K, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Portugal can visit direct.playstation.com to purchase a PS5 console, games, and accessories directly from PlayStation. PS5 products are also available at participating retailers globally.

Expanding the best games lineup in PlayStation history

Since swinging into our living rooms last month, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has captivated players with its epic storyline, two playable Super Heroes, and visually-stunning Marvel’s New York. In the past 12 months, PlayStation Studios and our partners have delivered a steady stream of critically-acclaimed hits, including God of War Ragnarök, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Diablo IV, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Call of the Mountain, Mortal Kombat 1, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Street Fighter 6, Humanity, and remakes of Dead Space and Resident Evil 4.

These extraordinary experiences add to the best lineup of games in our history, which already includes fan-favorite PlayStation console exclusives like The Last of Us Part I, Final Fantasy XVI, Gran Turismo 7, Returnal, Demon’s Souls, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Meanwhile, the Game Catalog for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium/Deluxe members continues to refresh monthly with popular titles like Horizon Forbidden West, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Sea of Stars, and more.

Innovative new products coming this holiday

This holiday, we’re also introducing a range of new hardware products and accessories that unlock new ways to play, including PlayStation Portal remote player, Pulse Explore wireless earbuds, and Access controller for PS5.

With these new products, alongside PlayStation VR2 and the DualSense Edge wireless controller, gamers can enhance their PS5 experience with more innovative options than ever before in PlayStation console history.

More amazing games on the horizon

While 2023 has been an epic year for gaming, there are even more great games to look forward to next year, including Helldivers 2, Concord, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Tekken 8, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Pacific Drive, and more.

We’re grateful to all our fans for your continued support and can’t wait for you to experience all the exciting new games and products on PS5 this holiday and beyond.

Hey, internet people, this is Yasmine here from the marketing team at Survios. We’re over the moon to reveal the upcoming Sweet Science update, heading to Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition tomorrow on PS VR2! After the nationwide premiere of Creed III in theaters earlier this year, Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition has introduced an array of new boxers, a Muscle Beach setting inspired by the film, and an expanded version of the original 2018 PS VR game.

From improved matchmaking to a slew of fitness updates, plus a brand new playable fighter, we don’t mean this lightly when we say you’ll be on your way to mastering the sweet science of PS VR boxing. Since we’re simply hours away from the content update going live, let’s go ahead and dive into what makes this update so sweet.

Set personal fitness goals

While experience is king, we know how necessary fitness is in every champion’s journey. Introducing the many ways Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition can bring you closer to your fitness endgame, players can now set personal calorie or time goals, no matter what mode or fight they’re in. Whenever you’re out duking it in PvP with a friend or working out in the various gyms available to you, your goals stay with you thick or thin.

Simply open the handheld menu with your PS VR2 Sense Controller and navigate to Fitness Goals. There, you can tweak your calorie or time goals on the fly. As you play, you can track your total time and calorie burn per play session, now more accurate than ever with our improved calorie tracking algorithm.

And of course, players can continue to utilize the Calorie and Timed Sparring modes under Fitness mode for tailored fitness-focused sessions.

Tommy Gunn enters the ring

Heavyweight champion legend Tommy “The Machine” Gunn, famously portrayed by Tommy Morrison in Rocky V, arrives in the ring to fight – anytime, anyplace, anywhere! With raw and incomparable power, Tommy is a force to be reckoned with in our extension roster of playable PvP characters. And for our Deluxe Edition owners, you will automatically receive an additional exclusive glow costume for Tommy Gunn upon update.

Thank you to all our fans who have joined us on this thrilling five-year-plus journey with us! We’re so excited to see what you think of this new update. If you haven’t already picked it up for yourself or a challenger-in-waiting, visit PlayStation Store for PS VR2 and download Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition, where you can experience the thrill of cinematic boxing for yourself.

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Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

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Hey y’all! This week the team celebrates spooky season and discusses some creepy newly released PS VR2 titles. The team also gets into the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, plus even more Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 talk.

Stuff We Talked About

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III – PS5, PS4
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 – PS5
• PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for November
  •  Mafia II: Definitive Edition, Dragon Ball: The Breakers, Aliens Fireteam Elite
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Hands-on report Blog
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice RPG Mechanics Blog
• The Foglands PS VR2 Blog
• Listener letter
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Alan Wake 2

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The Cast

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Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Last week, we asked you to swing into Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and share moments using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

DiogOliveiraVP shares Miles and Peter swinging alongside a bridge in their standard Spidey suits.

PKDrone shares Miles swinging by a taxi in the Bodega cat suit, with Spider-Cat hanging out the backpack

AjGamingPics1 shares Venom snarling and reaching towards the camera while running

RevolutionAndre shares Miles narrowly avoiding Sand-Man’s giant fist bursting through the building’s side

Sil3ntSnake shares Venom baring its teeth and saliva in the lights of Times Square

EliteGamingP shares Peter striking a pose in the Advanced Suit 2.0

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME:  Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Peter Parker
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on November 8, 2023

Next week, we want pictures of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2! Particularly, pictures of Peter Parker. Share your best moments playing as Peter using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Greetings everyone. As we get close to the end of 2023, the Honkai: Star Rail dev team is excited to get back to you with the latest information on the new maps, stories, and companions introduced in version 1.5, The Crepuscule Zone, coming on November 15. We look forward to delivering chills and thrills for everyone exploring the newest version and engaging in its gameplay.

After helping our friends solve various interstellar conspiracies and crises, it’s time to join a ghost-hunting squad and experience something spooky. The upcoming update will introduce a new location full of mystery, evil, and supernatural occurrences.

Additionally, allow me to introduce three fresh faces joining the soon-to-be-playable lineup: Huohuo and Hanya, both associated with the enigmatic Ten-Lords Commission, and Argenti, a valued member of the Knights of Beauty. And there’s even more in store – we will deliver various exciting and challenging events and updates to elevate our Trailblazers’ journeys.

The haunted Xianzhou Luofu

A while back, the Creation Furnace of the Artisanship Commission was shattered, and the heliobi trapped inside were able to escape and find refuge in the Fyxestroll Garden. It’s widely believed that heliobi are born from long-held grievances, possessing the ability to inhabit individuals, manipulate their senses, drink from their souls, and even take control of their bodies. Heliobi are adept at possession; only some of the most seasoned Wraith Wardens and Aurumaton Spectral Envoys from the Ten-Lords Commission are immune to their influence.

The Fyxestroll Garden is filled with yin energy, and it appears even more eerie with its ancient suppression towers, stone monoliths, and towering gnarled trees. During the day, it can be unsettling, but it becomes creepier at night, and with the incursion of the heliobi, a deeper atmosphere of danger now lingers. Recently, the Xianzhou’s online forums have witnessed a surge in posts detailing supernatural phenomena within the enigmatic confines of Fyxestroll Garden, from self-playing violins to the wailing cries of vengeful ghosts. Unsurprisingly, enthusiasts of the paranormal on the Xianzhou Luofu are reveling in these reports.

Now, dear Trailblazers, it’s time to assemble a ghost-hunting squad and embark on an adventure to unravel these mysteries. In the brand-new Version 1.5’s Trailblaze Continuance — A Foxian Tale of the Haunted — the squad will be responsible for tracking down heliobi, addressing crises, and safeguarding the Xianzhou Luofu.

Trustworthy teammates from the squad

You’ll have quite a task ahead of you, but fear not. You might find support from one of the most formidable forces in the Xianzhou Luofu: The Ten-Lords Commission. They are the Xianzhou’s most formidable forces, authorities of the supernatural, the guardians against evil forces, and the arbiters of life and death. With their support, the obstacles you face will be considerably easier.

Well, before you get too excited, it would be great to introduce your assignee: Our new 5-star character — Huohuo, an initially frightened young Foxian girl who, when she was just a child, found herself possessed by a long-lived creature. You guessed it right – it was a heliobus. To ensure her survival, the Ten-Lords Commission had no choice but to seal the heliobus within Huohuo. Consequently, she became a magnet for all things evil – a “cursed one.” Recognizing her unique talent to pacify monstrous entities, the Ten-Lords Commission extended to her their welcome and embraced Huohuo into their ranks. Today, she is a trainee judge, ready to face the supernatural and lend Trailblazers her unique capabilities for this most eerie of adventures.

Huohuo is a Wind-Type character who follows the Path of Abundance. Her Skill allows her to bravely wield her banner, restoring HP for a single character and their adjacent teammates. Her Ultimate can rejuvenate her allies’ Energy and boost their attack power. Having spent several years in the company of the heliobus known as “Tail,” Huohuo has developed various techniques to banish evil and safeguard her teammates. These abilities cement her as an essential member of any team, allowing her to provide incredible amounts of support and protection for her allies.

Of course, when dealing with heliobi, the more judges, the better. That’s why the Ten-Lords appointed another seasoned veteran to bring up the rear. Hanya is a four-star character who works as a netherworld judge of the Ten-Lords Commission. To be more precise, Hanya specializes in reading the karmic sins of the criminals and employs her Oracle Brush to determine their punishments. As a Physical-Type character following the Path of Harmony, during battles, aside from dealing physical damage to a single target during battles, Hanya’s Skill can also afflict the target with a Burden state. When an ally executes a set amount of attacks on an enemy marked with Burden, they will not only deal increased damage to that enemy but also regain a Skill Point.

After settling issues on the Luofu, in addition to the Ten-Lords Commission, allow me to introduce another 5-star character featured in the upcoming version: Argenti. Argenti is a cherished member of the Knights of Beauty. Trailblazers will be able to encounter him while journeying to Washtopia, a renowned hub specialized in cleaning interstellar craft. Argenti is a Physical-Type character following the Path of Erudition. As a devoted admirer of Idrila the Beauty, treating people with courtesy, helping others as a matter of principle, and offering sincere praise to all things in the universe is the code of conduct that Argenti lives by. Elegance is Argenti’s middle name and even manifests itself in his combat. Argenti’s Ultimate ability is genuinely distinctive, as it triggers different effects based on the amount of Energy consumed. When expending a small amount of Energy, Argenti’s Ultimate damages all enemies. However, when consuming all his Energy, Argenti’s Ultimate inflicts even more significant damage multiple times and includes additional harm to a randomly selected target.

More fun and exciting events

In Version 1.5, you can look forward to various exciting events and challenges. Firstly, March 7 is in need of assistance to restore her cherished photographs to their original conditions, as they’ve suffered mysterious damage. Furthermore, Version 1.5 will introduce a Guest Book feature update. For all you curious Trailblazers, this feature allows you to check a historical log of friends who have visited the Express. In addition, prepare to immerse yourself in The Genius Society’s latest challenge, “Simulated Universe: World 8,” which is set to launch soon. Lastly, remember to register for The Boulder Town Martial Exhibition, which has made a return for those who want to be a combat superstar.

That’s all we have to share about Version 1.5. We hope you’re enjoying your cosmic adventures and look forward to seeing you in the next one. 

Calling all Ghostbusters, both veterans and newcomers, we’ve got some new details on upcoming free DLC, so it’s time to charge those proton packs because things are about to get slimy. But before we jump into the details, we wanted to share a heartfelt message to our fans. 

Since the game’s launch, we’ve witnessed a remarkable surge in Ghostbusters teaming up to take down supernatural threats on PlayStation VR2. The enthusiasm within our growing community is nothing short of electrifying. So far, our Ghostbusters have completed missions solo or with their friends in cooperative multiplayer across four game modes: Giga Trap, On the Clock, Harvester, and Exorcism.

Giga Trap

On the Clock

Harvester

Exorcism

But San Francisco isn’t safe just yet! We have an array of paid and free DLC planned for the first chapter – from additional playable characters, equipment skins, bonus content, and more, designed to enhance and support the game long-term for players. As a special treat for fans who have been enjoying the game, here’s a sneak peek at two exciting new game modes that will be available for free before the year’s end.

Heist & Seek – The first competitive mode in Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, ‘Heist & Seek,’ brings a thrilling twist to ROTGL gameplay! Three bank-robbing brothers from the great beyond are carrying out a heist for old time’s sake, and it’s up to the Ghostbusters to put them away for good! 

In this game mode, players must team up to encounter each ghostly crook one at a time. Locate the first gigantic pile of gold and battle a stream of golden ghosts while the Polterheist takes cover. When all the golden ghosts are defeated, the Ghostbusters will follow him to the next gold pile, where he and his brother have a new team of golden ghosts ready for battle. If the Ghostbusters make it, they must follow the brothers one last time to the final showdown. But there’s a twist. The greed of the bandits rubs off on players, and now teammates are pitted against one another to compete for catches. If a Ghostbuster goes down, the money they’ve collected in the mission so far can be STOLEN by the reviving player on their team. Friendships will be tested when the Ghostbuster with the most loot emerges victorious in this winner-takes-all twist on the game!

Infestation – Welcome to Slime Central, where things are getting a little bit gooey! In this thrilling game mode, Ghostbusters find themselves at a location overrun by a particularly egregious and stubborn entity. This grotesque manifestation has burrowed itself into a home within the building’s infrastructure. Armed with their trusty PKE meters, players will embark on a mission to locate this ghostly intruder. You’ll track eerie activity and pinpoint the elusive nest’s location. But players beware, it won’t be an easy task. You’ll have to bust mischievous ghosts and maneuver through the horde of anthropomorphic manifestations. The trick to dealing with these Nest monsters is to go for the eyes! Use your particle streams to hook the entity’s giant eyes and pluck them out with well-timed boson darts. However, to even get its attention, you’ll have to work together with your team to divide and conquer, as other ghosts will rush to defend the nest. Get ready for a slimy showdown!

That’s it for this update. We wanted to extend a heartfelt ‘Thank you’ to everyone who has played the game, and we also wanted to remind the community that in addition to these two free game modes, we’ve got lots more in store for players who ain’t afraid of no ghost!