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THEME: Framing
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 25, 2026
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(For Southeast Asia) Festive New Year promotion comes to PlayStation Store https://ift.tt/Px1UWol
PlayStation Store
Festive New Year promotion comes to PlayStation Store on 4 February*! Enjoy up to 70% off on a huge range of incredible games until 25 February. Highlighted titles include Battlefield™ 6, Black Myth: Wukong, SILENT HILL f and Forza Horizon 5.
Head to PlayStation Store to enjoy savings now!
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PlayStation Plus
Players who join PlayStation Plus Extra or Deluxe during 13 February to 26 February can save up to 35% on a PS Plus 12-month membership!
Current PlayStation Plus members can save 35% on the remainder of their membership when upgrading a current plan to PlayStation Plus Deluxe.**
With PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe, get access to monthly games, exclusive discounts, online multiplayer, and hundreds of games through the Game Catalog and Classics Catalog, including hit titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Hogwarts Legacy, Sword of the Sea and many more. Explore the Classics Catalog with PlayStation Plus Deluxe, try select games like the epic Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with Game Trials, and more.**
*Festive New Year Promotion starts on 4 February 00:00 JST and concludes on 25 February 23:59 JST. Each title may have different sale periods. Please refer to the information in the title details page.
**Availability of Classics and Game Catalog varies over time, region/country, and plan. See https://ift.tt/Kym9kqD for details and updates on PlayStation Plus offerings. PlayStation Plus is an ongoing subscription subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically (at the then-current PS Store price) at the frequency you choose at purchase until cancellation. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms
Rager brings the beat to PlayStation VR2 on March 5 https://ift.tt/Q28Yuwy
Hello again, PlayStation VR2 players! We’re bringing Rager to PS VR2 on March 5, and we can’t wait for you to feel what rhythm-driven combat really means.
Rager is a music-driven VR brawler where the rhythm is never background noise. Every strike, block, and dodge is tied directly to the soundtrack. Enemies attack in sync with pounding basslines and war drums, and your survival depends on whether you can match that timing with precision.
This is combat built on control and awareness. You step into a shifting digital arena as robotic adversaries close in from every direction. The world forms around you as the music builds, then collapses back into the void when the fight is over. The next track begins, and the pressure starts again.
No room for hesitation
At launch on PS VR2, Rager includes a full campaign of 12 hand-built levels and three boss fights that escalate the pressure with every track. Each level locks you into a specific weapon and forces you to commit. There is no switching mid-fight. You adapt or you fail.
The weapon in your hands changes the fight completely. Sword and Mace demand precision, striking independently with clean, deliberate timing. Axe and Hammer require both hands and full-body movement, rewarding committed swings with crushing impact. Claws and Fists pull you into close range, where attacks come faster and hesitation disappears. Every weapon shifts your stance, your reach, and your rhythm. You are reading the beat while reading the enemy, adjusting your timing in real time as attacks come from every direction.
Freestyle mode opens another 12 levels from the start, giving you the freedom to choose your weapon and push your limits. Online leaderboards track every run. When a fight ends, you know exactly where you lost time. If your timing slips, you feel it. If you land clean, you feel that too. Rager rewards discipline. The tighter your movement, the harder it hits.
The PS VR2 experience
Rager is built around clarity, feedback, and physical commitment. On PS VR2, those elements come through at full strength.
The game runs at a native 90Hz, keeping movement smooth and responsive during the fastest exchanges. When attacks come from multiple directions and the beat accelerates, you need stability. Native 90Hz ensures that what you see and what you feel stay locked together, frame by frame.
HDR support deepens the contrast of the arena, sharpening silhouettes and impact flashes against the darkness. Dynamic foveated rendering powered by eye tracking keeps your focus crisp exactly where you’re looking, so telegraphed strikes stay readable even in chaotic moments.
Then there’s the feedback.
Advanced haptics in the PS VR2 Sense controllers reinforce timing in your hands. A clean strike lands with weight. A blocked attack sends resistance through your grip. Headset rumble adds force to heavy blows and boss slams, grounding you in the center of the arena. The result is combat that feels anchored. When you commit to a swing, you feel the consequence.
For players who chase mastery, Rager includes a full trophy list, culminating in a Platinum trophy that rewards precision, discipline, and complete control of the rhythm.
On PS VR2, every strike carries weight, every block carries resistance, and every mistake carries consequence.
The arena opens March 5
Rager rewards players who stay sharp under pressure. When the tempo rises and attacks close in from every direction, hesitation costs you. Clean timing wins fights. Control keeps you standing.
We’re proud to bring Rager to PlayStation VR2, and we’re excited to see how this community rises to the challenge. If you’re ready to test your timing, your stamina, and your control, we’ll see you in the arena on March 5.
11 indie gems to look forward to in 2026 https://ift.tt/T9kE1Fm
This year is promising some great PlayStation 5 games – our Most Wanted Games of Early 2026 is easy proof of that. But we’re only just getting started. There’s so much more on the way, and with PS5 not only home to the biggest releases but also an exciting hotbed of super cool indie titles, it’s only fair to give you an enticing glimpse at why we’re so hyped for the coming months.
Coffee Talk Tokyo | May 21 | PS5
If you’ve ever wanted to safely talk to yokai about their lives (or afterlives) over a cup of joe, then pull up a seat at the Tokyo cafe Chorus Worldwide has set up. If you’re not familiar with the lovely Coffee Talk series, this iteration continues its calming narrative, where you prepare and serve drinks to supernatural customers seeking chilled conversation and warm contemplation.
Fishbowl | April TBD | PS5
As odd as its title might sound, Fishbowl carries a depth that’s already caught the eyes and tugged at the hearts of those who’ve played it. Exploring a journey of grief and self-discovery, the two-person studio of imissmyfriends promises a thoughtful and emotional visual novel. A coming-of-age tale set over a month, Fishbowl features sorting-and-matching puzzle gameplay elements, but, most importantly, it aims to teach players that taking things one day at a time is sometimes the only way to move forward.
Hela | TBD 2026 | PS5
It’s entirely possible that when you first heard the title of this 3D co-op adventure, images of Nordic fire and brimstone came to mind. But never fear, Hela is pretty much the opposite. In fact, the only Scandinavian landscapes that have inspired this wholesome journey are those that have you reaching for the Create button for a revisit. Windup’s beautiful-looking escapade of puzzles and teamwork – via either local split-screen or online if you want to bring a buddy – lets you become a sickly witch’s mousey familiar, brewing healing potions and helping the local village with acts of kindness.
Inkonbini: One Store. Many Stories | April TBD | PS5
Need space for a cosy gaming experience? Nagai Industries has you covered with this nostalgic slice-of-life narrative, where human connections created by everyday events are entirely the point. Inspired by early 1990s Japan, Inkobini sets you in a small-town convenience store where you not only go through the meditative routine of preparing the shop for customers, but also hear their tales and forge relationships. The branching narrative shapes your conversations as you help the neighbourhood grow and thrive.
Mina the Hollower | Spring 2026 | PS5, PS4
One of the most anticipated titles of 2026, Yacht Club Games’ action-adventure blends an 8-bit aesthetic with modern design sensibilities, a combination that helped Shovel Knight become such a beloved indie darling. Genius inventor Mina isn’t just a dab hand with weapons like her Nightstar whip and daggers, but can also use her hollowing ability to burrow underground – perfect for mixing up combat and traversal in the many dungeons of the cursed Tenebrous Isle. Fan favourite musicians Jake Kaufman (the Shantae series) and Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage/Shinobi series) are also along for the adventure’s infectiously slick soundtrack.
Mortal Shell II | TBD 2026 | PS5
Let’s step away from the cosy side for a spell, and get our hands a little dirty with the sequel to Cold Symmetry’s original action-RPG. While standalone from its predecessor, Mortal Shell II continues to deliver the unflinching fights, nightmarish enemies, and haunting open world that fans previously enjoyed. The corpses of departed warriors are yours to awaken and possess to utilize their many abilities. Finishers have been upgraded, and the stamina gauge has been removed to speed up combat. Oh, and there are firearms, too, so your bloody quest to reclaim the Undermether’s stolen eggs gives you a chance to introduce the likes of shotguns and rapid-fire crossbows to your foes.
Mouse P.I. For Hire | March 19 | PS5
Evoking the hand-drawn aesthetic of classic 1930s cartoons, Fumi Games’s first-person shooter blends detective noir storytelling with all-action blasting. If you like jazz, machine guns, grizzled narration, and oversized white gloves, then Mouseburg will be your home away from home. But be warned – just like the animation it apes, this is a game where almost anything can happen.
Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse | March 5 | PS5, PS4
There’s something special about a game that knows how endearing it is, and this vibrant 2D search action roguelike truly owns its charm – or should that be ‘curse’? Simply put, you control a magical hat with the power to possess your foes and use their abilities to venture through ruins, botanical gardens, and more, to help rebuild your ruined village. And what’s better than one cursed hat? Well, bring three friends along for the multiplayer mode and find out.
Ontos | TBD 2026 | PS5
When Frictional Games announced it would be unleashing the spiritual successor to 2015 sci-fi horror Soma, any eager anticipation was rewarded with the first glimpses of Ontos. Swapping underwater chills for a desolate moon base, this disturbing narrative-driven adventure challenges you to scavenge materials, operate machinery, and make moral choices that could result in grave consequences as you delve deeper into the mystery of a failed mining colony.
Out of Words | TBD 2026 | PS5
Easily one of the most unique-looking games in this list due to its eye-catching stop-motion and handcrafted visuals, Out of Words lives up to its title with two protagonists without mouths. In a quest to restore their voices, you and a friend take control of Kurt and Karla in a co-op platform adventure packed with puzzles and environmental challenges, testing your communication and coordination. And beneath the giant fish, tense set pieces, and physics-defying traversals, beats a tender story of connection and love, too.
Over the Hill | TBD 2026 | PS5
It couldn’t have been easy to follow the stylish racing game art of rally, but developers Funselektor Labs and Strelka Games have made something decidedly different, albeit still on four wheels. Over the Hill focuses on exploration and discovery, with a deliberately paced drive through a wilderness of dynamic weather, day/night cycles, and terrain deformation. It’s not a race – it’s all about the journey, upgrading and customizing your vehicle, taking in the scenery, and even joining up to three friends to see what awaits past the sunset.
We might be buzzing to get our hands on these games (and many more, coming), but what about you? Which indie titles are you looking forward to playing in 2026?
How open world Soulslike deckbuilder Death Howl was built https://ift.tt/EzILxSR
When we first started working on Death Howl, if you had told me we were building an “open world, soulslike deckbuilder,” I would have looked at you with a fair bit of confusion. It sounds like a recipe made out of components that don’t naturally fit together. Yet, as we prepare to bring the journey of Ro to a new audience on PlayStation 5 from February 19, I’ve been reflecting on how this genre blend came to be.
The truth is, the “soulslike” tag wasn’t part of the original design document.
A foundation of cards and tactics
At its core, Death Howl began as a prototype that I made as a school project back in 2015 after playing the unique and brilliant game called Dream Quest. I’ve always been inspired by Magic: The Gathering and the idea of traversing a world to collect materials for crafting power. Our initial goal was to create an alternative to the traditional roguelite deckbuilder – something that traded linear, “always-start-from-beginning” runs for a free-roaming open world.
We also looked at the character skill building where cards replaced traditional weapons and spells, with all combat taking place on a grid.
The accidental Soulslike
In general, we never intended to blend so many genres. At its core, Death Howl is an open world deckbuilder. But to achieve that vision, many different designs had to merge. We combined tactical, grid-based combat with deck building. We merged open world exploration with turn-based battles. And as the design evolved, other genre elements emerged organically – including soulslike mechanics.
Honestly, I wasn’t even especially familiar with soulslike games when we started. It was something that came about from testers telling us it felt like one.
Some elements were already in place. “Sacred Groves” – checkpoint locations much like the bonfires you might know from other games-allow you to heal, but they also respawn all enemies. We had designed these early on. But testers pointed to other traces of the genre in our game.
They felt Death Howl earned the soulslike label because of how it rewards pattern recognition. You need to observe enemy behaviors – learning to avoid the frontal charge of a boar, for instance – and embrace the punishing but fair loop of death and adaptation.
We made one key adjustment to fit our card-based structure. Instead of sending players back to the last checkpoint, dying in Death Howl returns you to the moment just before the encounter you lost. When Ro dies, she drops “Death Howls” – the currency earned from defeating enemies, used to craft new cards and upgrade abilities. These can be retrieved after respawning, much like souls in other games. This mechanic was perhaps the biggest direct inspiration we took from the genre once we became more familiar with it.
The rest emerged more indirectly. But embracing the soulslike direction as an overall concept helped us add even more layers to the experience.
For me, it’s still an open world deckbuilder. For others, it’s a soulslike card battler. Both are true.
Balancing the dark and the ethereal
Genre-blending is one part of Death Howl’s identity. The other is its mood.
The world of Death Howl is a spirit realm born from grief, distant memories, and the unknown. To capture that otherworldly feeling, we leaned into a “linocut” or woodcut art style-inspired by heavy metal t-shirts and old-school Scandinavian illustrations – all rendered in minimalistic pixel art.
This visual approach mirrors the gameplay in a way. Just as shapes emerge from deep shadows in our art, players must piece together the narrative of Ro’s quest to reunite with her son. The pixel art forces the viewer to imagine the details left in the darkness, creating space for their own interpretation.
A journey to PlayStation
Building Death Howl taught us that creating something unique often means combining elements that don’t obviously fit together. The result is a game that balances the calm of exploration with the intensity of turn-based combat, all wrapped in a story of resilience and loss.
As we bring this experience to PlayStation 5 on February 19, we’re incredibly excited for a new community to step into our Spirit World and discover its secrets. Whether you’re a deckbuilding veteran or a soulslike fan looking for a tactical twist, we hope you’ll find something here that resonates.
Death Howl is more than the sum of its genres-it’s a reflection of the creative journey that shaped it.
God of War Sons of Sparta – Mega Cat Studios discuss origins of Kratos and company’s name https://ift.tt/rJcbe2i
When Mega Cat Studios sat down to dream big, one name sat at the very top of their wishlist: God of War. Years later, that long-shot ambition has become God of War Sons of Sparta, a newly released prequel developed in collaboration with Santa Monica Studio (SMS). Set at the earliest point in the series timeline, the game casts players as a young, devout Kratos before he knows his true nature as a demi-god, weaving a story about brotherhood and the meaning of being Spartan. Sons of Sparta pairs retro action-adventure design with an emotional God of War story.
Mega Cat Studios Founder and CEO James Deighan and Game Director Zack Manko also discuss the origins of the game’s title and the name of the studio. For the full conversation listen to the latest Official PlayStation Podcast episode.
PlayStation Blog: What can you share about the origins of this collaboration with Santa Monica Studio?
James Deighan: So one of the things we’ve always done at Mega Cat are these leadership retreats where we talk about what we want to do… what we want to be known for… what inspired us to join the games industry. And one of the things that we’ve maintained, kind of ceremonially, is this “wishlist” of franchises we wish we could collaborate on. And we’ve had God of War listed as number one since the very beginning. And part of that wishlist is also the probability of us being able to do that, which we’ve always had listed very low. And as we continued to grow and make bigger, better games, and got a lot more confidence we started taking bigger swings, and eventually we just made a pitch and reached out and got really lucky that somebody read it, and they were open to having a conversation about what our idea was for a prequel and some kind of pixel art treatment extension of the franchise that we all adore.
…so it really is just on multiple layers, a dream come true, working with such a talented team [at Santa Monica Studio], with a franchise we adore.
How is Kratos’ relationship with the Greek gods at this point in his life?
Zack Manko: This is Kratos as a boy. So it’s pre-god powers. He doesn’t even know he’s a god. But that also means he has a very different relationship with the gods. He’s very devout. He has this faith that he leans on and turns to when things look darkest. And in Sons of Sparta, you see how that pays off. You get Gifts of Olympus, these artifacts blessed by the gods, that allow you to do all these crazy puzzles, exploration, and combat. Ultimately, seeing Kratos as this devout, faith-filled figure, and knowing what comes later with his relationship with the gods…adds a new dimension as well.
What went into the decision to set the game at the earliest point in the series’ timeline?
Manko: I think there are two reasons, really. First, like you said, it’s a prequel. Our initial pitch was, you know, imagine what God of War would have looked like on [the original PlayStation], you know, what a God of War zero, if you will, would look like. So I think with that in mind the narrative team at SMS thought this time period you know, Kratos as a boy, his formative years, would be interesting to explore, because the events here and what he goes through and what he experiences, it really adds a texture to his character that kind of you can see throughout the rest of the saga. It certainly adds a new lens onto him [when looking back at the Greek games].
Early on, we did think about maybe [making the story] a little bit closer to the events of the Greek saga games that fans are familiar with. But again, I think the writers at SMS thought this is what we need to go to, because seeing Kratos as a boy here resonates throughout the rest of the series, not only with the Greek games, but also, you know, the Norse saga, where you see Kratos as a father with Atreus, and how the events in Sons of Sparta may influence that. And the same sort of, same sort of context, the influences on Kratos as a boy, how that lines up with Kratos’ parenting style in the Norse saga. These formative years of Kratos, this character, seeing all these things that happen and these influences on him. It just adds so much to this character that fans are familiar with throughout the rest of the games.
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Meet Mega Cat, the feline the God of War: Sons of Sparta studio is named after.
What can you tell us about the origins of the game’s title and name of the studio itself?
Manko: James wanted to name it something Greek yogurt themed, you know, high protein, fitting for Kratos [laughs]. But, um, no, in all seriousness, God of War Sons of Sparta was chosen because it just encapsulates the main themes in the game so well. You know, Kratos and Deimos are the sons of Sparta, and they’re discovering what that means. What it means to be a Spartan, what are the demands there, what’s the cost?
Deighan: [Regarding the studio name Mega Cat Studios] we had a beloved cat that I had as a pet that passed. One of our [team members’ now-wife] volunteers at a local animal shelter here, and she was serving a few bottle babies. [Bottle babies] are whenever the shelters are completely overburdened with animals, the trained [certified] volunteers can take [cats] home and help raise them. I was dealing with some pet-loss heartbreak, as you do, and [the shelter had] this one, really aggressive runt in the litter that we ended up taking home and bottle feeding and spending some time with. That was Mega Cat.
So when we first came up with a list of many ideas and names for the company, we included [“Mega Cat”] on the list and started voting and sharing it around with our friends, family, and colleagues. And there was this really overwhelmingly positive response [to the name]… which kind of rolls off the tongue. Early years, it really worked to our advantage, because people confused us with Mad Catz [laughs].
We had all these names that we really went deep on, and we added a Mega Cat at the end of the list. Even our UPS driver was like, “that one’s awesome, man.”
