Players’ Choice: Vote for June 2026’s best new game https://ift.tt/iI5kuVL
Last month was filled with fighting, sports, and adventure! Some big new releases included The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, Dead or Alive 6 Last Round, and NBA The Run. Which game was your favorite?
How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. After the polls close we will tally your votes, and announce the winner on our social channels and PlayStation.Blog.
What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? Note: re-released games don’t qualify, but remakes do. We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
How are nominees decided? The PlayStation Blog editorial team will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll.
What Dune: Awakening brings to PlayStation 5 Sept 22 https://ift.tt/AxR72gV
On September 22, Dune: Awakening is coming to PlayStation 5.
Dune: Awakening is an open world survival game set on the most legendary planet in the universe: Arrakis. Rise from survival to greatness, as you explore, build, craft, and unravel a cinematic Dune story that asks the mind-bending question: what if Paul Atreides was never born?
Dune: Awakening has been available on PC since last year, and during that time we’ve added a ton of content and enhanced core gameplay systems. The game is better than ever, and with its debut on PlayStation 5, we’re adding even more including a full single-player mode.
PlayStation gamers will be treated to the best version of Dune: Awakening yet. All the enhancements and additions that we’ve been working on for the past year will be on PlayStation day one.
We’ve put together a Developer Deep Dive video exploring what’s coming in the PlayStation 5 version of the game. Check it out:
Optimized for PlayStation 5
The team has spent a lot of time and effort making sure the experience on PlayStation 5 is the best it can be. UI and controls have been tailored to the console experience, and we’ve put a lot of focus on making sure the game is highly optimized for both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.
On the base PlayStation 5, Performance Mode will run at 60fps with frame-gen. On PlayStation 5 Pro, Performance Mode runs at 60fps without frame-gen. Quality Mode will run at 30fps on both systems. The game runs in upscaled 4K on both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, in both Performance and Quality Mode. We’ll provide more specific technical details as we get closer to launch, including an overview of native resolutions.
Survival games generally have a reputation for being complex and challenging to learn. With Dune: Awakening, our design philosophy from day one has been to make it a more accessible survival experience.
Not less challenging, but less challenging to learn. We’ve implemented systems that teach you the game and ease you into its core elements, and there is also a strong narrative thread that guides you through the journey from survivalist to hero instead of just dropping you in the middle of a literal sandbox.
To put it like this: if you’re skeptical about survival games, Dune: Awakening is a great portal for you into the genre!
Single-player mode: a game changer
The biggest new addition PlayStation 5 gamers can look forward to is the single-player mode. Right now, on PC, the game is exclusively multiplayer and single-player mode is by far one of the top-requested features.
Making an inherently multiplayer game work in full single-player has not been an easy task. The team has spent months making sure the experience translates well. It’s not just removing multiplayer functionality; every aspect of the game needs to make sense in a single-player format.
For example, in multiplayer, the endgame in Dune: Awakening is built around players competing over specific objectives to make sure their faction – House Atreides or House Harkonnen – gains control over the Landsraad. Controlling the Landsraad gives them the ability to make decisions that can impact gameplay for everyone across the server. In single-player, instead of removing or downscaling this part of the game, we’re instead simulating other players competing for these objectives, making sure it’s still a compelling and engrossing part of the experience.
We’re also introducing a wide range of gameplay customization options, allowing you to scale the difficulty to your liking. Want to harvest resources faster or even disable the sandworm? That’s your choice. You can also customize all these options if you choose to rent a private server for you and your friends.
The new single-player mode allows you to play the game the way you want to, at your own pace.
Available in digital and physical format
We’re also excited to share that we’ll be releasing a physical edition of Dune: Awakening. We’re teaming up with Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe who will put the game on shelves in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and with Solutions 2 GO for North and South America. It will also be released in retail in Japan, with a publisher to be announced later.
In Japan, the game is expected to release in October, with pre-orders commencing soon.
With the third installment in Denis Villeneuve’s and Legendary Entertainment’s epic Dune franchise coming to theatres in December, the physical edition can be a great holiday gift for Dune fans around the globe.
Can you survive on Arrakis?
Arrakis is a test that few will survive, and Dune: Awakening represents the ultimate survival fantasy. On September 22 it’s time to prove whether you can survive the most dangerous planet in the universe.
Dune: Awakening can be wishlisted and pre-ordered today.
PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for July – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, For the King II, CrossCode https://ift.tt/KABdEty
July PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup brings blockbuster thrills, high fantasy adventure and retro-inspired 2D RPG action to all PlayStation Plus members* from Tuesday July 7 until Monday August 3.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the games.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III – Cross-Gen Bundle | PS5, PS4
Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world. In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet.
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For the King II | PS5, PS4
Once beloved by her people, Queen Rosomon has turned against her subjects, casting them into servitude in the darkness of Fahrul’s mines whilst building alliances with sinister and malevolent forces. Gather your party in four player co-op or adventure alone through Fahrul as you risk everything to fight the tyrannical queen and bring an end to her oppressive reign. From the creators of For The King, the much-loved RPG that blends roguelite and tabletop gameplay comes a new chapter in Fahrul’s history, designed on an updated engine bringing innovation and gameplay refinement for returning heroes and new adventurers alike.
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CrossCode | PS5, PS4
This retro-inspired 2D action RPG might outright surprise you. CrossCode combines 16-bit style graphics with butter-smooth physics, a fast-paced combat system, and engaging puzzle mechanics, served with a gripping sci-fi story. CrossCode is all about how it plays! Take the best out of two popular genres, find a good balance between them and make a great game. That’s what CrossCode does. You get the puzzles of old school Action Adventure dungeons and are rewarded with the great variety of equipment you know and love from RPGs. During the fast-paced battles you will use the tools you find on your journey to reveal and exploit the enemies’ weaknesses and at the same time will be able to choose equipment and skills for a more in-depth approach in fighting your enemies.
*PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day for more information.
Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles https://ift.tt/eGf3ZAV
As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028. Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format.
This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.
We’ll continue to prioritize our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that’s at retailers or PlayStation Store. We remain committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our fans and we thank you for your continued support.
For important updates on PlayStation Store for PS3 and PS Vita announced today, please click here.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced: PS5 Pro enhancements detailed https://ift.tt/VT2pGr3
Released first on the PlayStation 3 and as a launch title for the PlayStation 4, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag has remained a defining entry in the series for more than a decade. When we first explored the idea of bringing Edward Kenway’s journey to modern hardware, it quickly became clear that a traditional remaster wouldn’t be enough to do it justice.
Instead, we rebuilt the game from the ground up on the latest version of the Anvil engine, modernizing nearly every system while preserving the spirit and identity of the original game. The result is an experience tailored for modern PlayStation hardware, with 60 FPS options, HDR support, Dolby Atmos, DualSense haptic feedback, and plenty of other improvements. You can find the list of graphics modes available at launch for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro below.
With all these new features and graphics options, we’ve been able to take full advantage of the PlayStation 5 hardware and deliver the best experience possible for players when the game launches on July 9.
In this article, we’d like to take a closer look at some of the technologies that bring this new version of the Caribbean to life.
A more reactive Caribbean with ray tracing
In Resynced, our goal was to make the world feel more alive, more dynamic, and more responsive to the player’s journey.
A major part of that comes from our updated lighting system, now fully dynamic and powered by hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Instead of relying on precomputed lighting, the world reacts in real time to changes in time of day, weather, and environment. Interiors respond more accurately to outdoor light sources, and weather conditions dramatically reshape the mood of the world.
Ray-traced diffuse lighting allows light to bounce across surfaces, creating natural color bleeding and more consistent shading throughout environments. Meanwhile, Ray-Traced Specular Reflections enhance surfaces like wet wood, metal, and ocean spray, helping the Caribbean feel more physically grounded and reactive.
To ensure a consistent experience, Ray-Traced Global Illumination is enabled in all graphics modes on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro. Ray-Traced Specular Reflections are available in Balanced and Fidelity modes on PS5, and across all graphics modes on PS5 Pro.
Continuous detail with micropolygon geometry
One of the key visual improvements in Black Flag Resynced comes from how we handle geometry at scale.
Traditional rendering pipelines rely on discrete levels of detail, switching between simplified models as the player moves through the world. While effective, this approach can sometimes introduce noticeable visual popping.
With our Micropolygon geometry pipeline, we take a different approach. Instead of switching between fixed models, geometry is continuously refined based on distance, visibility, and camera perspective. This continuous level of detail is enabled by the PlayStation 5’s ultra-high-speed SSD, which allows Anvil to instantly stream, virtualize, and render tiny geometric clusters.
This lets environments and assets scale smoothly from close-up detail to distant silhouettes without noticeable transitions.
PlayStation 5 Pro enhancements
The PlayStation 5 Pro includes all the features of the base PlayStation 5 but adds significantly more GPU power and enhanced ray‑tracing performance, giving additional headroom for higher fidelity and more stable performance.
Across all graphics modes, players on PS5 Pro benefit from extended ray tracing support, including both Ray-Traced Global Illumination and Ray-Traced Specular Reflections.
This enables richer lighting and reflection quality while maintaining higher performance targets across Performance, Balanced, and Fidelity modes.
We’ve also expanded our strand-based hair on PS5 Pro. Rather than relying solely on traditional hair cards, the engine can simulate and render individual strands for more natural motion and response to wind. All of this allows us to get a very realistic hair render for our characters.
On PS5 Pro, strand-based hair is available for Edward in all modes. In Fidelity mode, nearby crowd characters also benefit from strand simulation during gameplay, while cinematics use strand-based hair for all characters regardless of mode.
In addition, Black Flag Resynced supports the latest version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), helping deliver better image quality and improved reconstruction, reducing the visual gap between performance and fidelity modes.
A living world driven by Anvil’s Atmos
Black Flag Resynced simulates weather in real time through Atmos, the systemic weather simulation framework in our Anvil engine.
Rather than treating weather as a set of isolated effects, Atmos continuously simulates variables such as temperature, humidity, wind, and vapor density. These systems evolve over time and influence one another, producing more coherent and dynamic weather.
This same simulation extends into gameplay and environmental interaction. Wind affects not only cloud movement and storms at sea, but also vegetation, cloth, particles, sails, and character hair.
The result is a world that doesn’t just look alive but feels physically connected as well.
A richer ocean
The ocean has always been at the heart of Black Flag, and modernizing its rendering was a key focus for this project.
Black Flag Resynced introduces a fully modernized water system, based on a physically based rendering pipeline. New tessellation technique, volumetric foam generation, and dynamic bubble systems add more details to the water surface. These updates allow the sea to respond more naturally to wind conditions, weather, and ship movement.
The sea now plays an even greater role in shaping both the mood and moment-to-moment experience of navigation and combat.
Prepare for a more immersive experience
When rebuilding Assassin’s Creed Black Flag on the latest version of Anvil, our goal wasn’t only to modernize technology. We wanted to strengthen the sense of immersion, adventure, and discovery that made Edward Kenway’s journey so memorable in the first place. PlayStation 5 hardware has given us the opportunity to push that experience further than ever before, from the way the world looks and sounds, to how it feels.
Whether you’re returning to relive a favorite adventure, or setting sail with Edward for the first time, we’re excited to welcome you to the Caribbean when Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on July 9 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.
The wait is almost over. To celebrate, we’re taking a closer look at pre-orders, incentive previews, plus a sneak peek at a brand-new stage.
Enter the Spirit Wilds
We’re excited to reveal Spirit Wilds, a brand-new stage coming to Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game.
One of the most mysterious corners of the Avatar universe, Spirit Wilds provides a visually striking battleground for elemental clashes. Launch opponents skyward with airbending or control space with earthbending in this new arena with a beautiful backdrop for every fight. Peep the exclusive Spirit Wilds video reveal and match video below.
At launch, players will have access to 12 playable characters, a roster of support characters, eight unique stages, and multiple ways to play. Whether you’re looking to jump online, sharpen your skills in Training Mode, or experience the game’s original story, there are no shortages of ways to begin your journey.
Pre-order details
Players who pre-order either the Standard Edition or Deluxe Edition will receive a collection of exclusive bonuses:
Gold color variants for Aang, Korra, Zuko, Katara, Toph, and Sokka
Samurai Appa Support Character Skin
Voting rights for a Year 1 Pass character
Access to the Closed Beta running July 2-5
The Samurai Appa skin gives Aang’s faithful flying companion a tough new look when selected as a support character.
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Pre-ordering also unlocks exclusive gold variants for Aang, Korra, Toph, Zuko, Katara and Sokka, giving players striking golden outfits that ensure they look their sharpest while bending.
Perhaps most exciting of all, pre-ordering grants players the opportunity to help shape the future of Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game. Players will be able to vote on one of the characters joining the Year 1 Pass roster.
Choose your edition
Standard edition vs Deluxe edition
Year 1 Pass
Join us in the Closed Beta
Players who pre-order either edition of Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game will receive access to the Closed Beta from July 2 through July 5.
The Beta will feature Aang, Korra, Katara, Toph, Zuko, Sokka, and Azula, giving players an early opportunity to experience the game’s fast-paced combat and support character system.
Pre-orders are available now on the PlayStation Store, and we’re excited to continue sharing additional updates and surprises as we get closer to launch. Thanks for all your support, and we’re stoked to see you in the Beta.
Did you get a chance to check out the final team trailer revealed today, Sunday, June 28 at EVO 2026 —the “Samurai Outriders”? If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to watch it below.
Fifth and final team revealed: Samurai Outriders
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Ghost Rider (voiced by Giancarlo Sabogal), who had already been revealed, is now joined by Blade (voiced by Imari Williams), Loki (voiced by Jason Spisak), and Deadpool (voiced by Nolan North) to form a new team.
Not the Midnight Sons—but the Samurai Outriders. Were you expecting this lineup?
The Samurai Outriders are a group of dark heroes. As you might expect, they don’t start out as a cohesive unit… in fact, they’re quite the opposite.
As they face threats to the world, how each of them—and the team as a whole—grows and evolves is something you can look forward to experiencing in Episode Mode.
New Stage: Asgard
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We’re also excited to reveal a new stage: Asgard.
Asgard is known in the Marvel Universe as the “Realm of the Gods,” said to sit at the pinnacle of the Nine Realms. It is a land that combines advanced magic with science and technology, ruled by King Odin, and home to Thor Odinson and Loki.
In this title, Asgard appears as a battle stage composed of five areas: the Observatory, Bifrost Bridge, Throne Room, Treasure Vault, and Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
New playable characters
Blade
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Blade, whose real name is Eric Brooks, was born as a human-vampire hybrid after his mother was attacked by a vampire during pregnancy. Seeking revenge against the monsters who killed his mother, he became a vampire hunter, fighting against evil blood-sucking creatures.
In this title, Blade has completed his training in Japan, gaining even greater physical and mental strength. He wields the demon-slaying sword Muramasa, a weapon capable of slicing through gods.
Muramasa is normally kept sealed with its power restrained, but when Blade releases that power, the blade turns red and reveals its true potential.
He specializes in an aggressive combat style, skillfully handling a variety of deadly tools including Muramasa, machine guns, and glaives.
One of his unique abilities, Heartstopper, throws a stake that pins the opponent in place and allows Blade to close the distance at incredible speed. When it hits, Muramasa glows red, enhancing the performance of his sword-based skills.
Closing in instantly and delivering powerful slashes, Blade truly lives up to the name of a hunter.
Loki
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Loki Laufeyson, the adoptive brother of Thor, is known as the “God of Mischief” and the “God of Lies.” Though raised in Asgard by Odin, he is actually the son of Laufey, king of the Frost Giants.
Originally a villain, Loki is attempting to turn over a new leaf and become a hero in this title. As part of the Samurai Outriders, he makes full use of his powers of deception.
His combat style excels at trickery, with many skills incorporating feints and counters using illusions. He also uses projectiles based on ice and magic, combined with clever use of erratic movements to constantly confuse opponents.
True to his mischievous nature, he can dish out frustrating and deceptive attacks—but if his tricks are exposed, he may be punished heavily. Loki is a uniquely unpredictable character who takes advantage of his opponent’s bad habits.
Deadpool
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Wade Wilson, a Canadian mercenary, grew up in a troubled household and eventually left home. After receiving extensive military training, he served in special forces but was later diagnosed with cancer.
As part of the Weapon X Program, he was injected with a healing serum derived from Wolverine’s blood. While it saved his life and granted him superhuman regeneration, it also left his body severely scarred and his mind unstable.
Deadpool’s combat style reflects his reckless nature, enabled by his powerful healing factor. He uses guns, grenades, and swords, along with high-risk techniques that involve taking damage himself.
In this title, Deadpool has somehow obtained a game strategy guide from beyond the fourth wall, granting him access to a variety of unique attacks from fighting games of legend. Filled with a love for hype and excitement, he enters the arena with an outrageous arsenal of crowd-pleasing moves.
These trailers take a closer look at each character’s battle mechanics, including default color options, normal move animations, skills, super moves, ultimate abilities, and assist types.
If you want to learn how a character plays—or just want to see their moves in action—these videos are a great place to start. We recommend checking them out when you find a character you’d like to try.
More trailers will be released soon, so stay tuned!
Upcoming events
With launch fast approaching, the development team is entering the final stretch!
We will be holding a global Open Beta* on PS5 and PC from July 24-26 (PT). In this beta, Blade will be available as a playable character. We will be sharing more details soon, so please stay tuned.
*Account for PlayStation required to participate in the Open Beta.
