Players’ Choice: Vote for April 2026’s best new game https://ift.tt/MiVehvE
Last month was filled with adventures across moons, mindscapes, and the cartoon world! Some big new releases included Mouse: P.I. for Hire, Pragmata, Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes, Hades II, and Saros. 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.
Hulk and Black Panther join the fight for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls https://ift.tt/6MPHdov
Hello everyone! I’m Takeshi Yamanaka, Producer of MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Today at EVO Japan 2026 in Tokyo, we revealed our third team to join the Challenge of the Champion: Fighting Avengers. Be sure to check out the new team reveal trailer below!
A new team joins the battle: Fighting Avengers
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Joining the previously announced Captain America (voiced by Brian Bloom) and Iron Man (voiced by Josh Keaton) are Hulk (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) and Black Panther (voiced by Erica Luttrell), forming the brand-new team: the Fighting Avengers.
Led by Captain America, this newly formed Avengers squad comes together to confront a new threat facing Earth. As heroes watched closely—and admired greatly—by people around the world, we hope you’re looking forward to seeing how they rise to the challenge in Episode Mode.
New stage revealed: Wakanda
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We’re also excited to announce a brand-new stage: Wakanda.
Wakanda is a nation located in Africa, blessed with rich natural landscapes while also standing as a global leader in advanced scientific technology. Traditionally protected by its king, the Black Panther, Wakanda is now ruled by the young Black Panther, Shuri, who has taken on the mantle to defend her people.
New playable character: Hulk
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A green goliath whose strength grows with his rage, Hulk once fought alongside the Avengers to save the world. However, in MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, his overwhelming power and instability lead the government, S.H.I.E.L.D., and even his fellow teammates Captain America and Iron Man, to exile him to the Savage Land.
There, Hulk lives a quiet life, surrounded by nature and animals, but his distrust of the Avengers has yet to fade.
During development, Hulk’s backstory was established early on. While staying true to the core design concept of a massive, gamma-radiated powerhouse, elements inspired by this narrative were incorporated into his design. Hulk adorns himself with dinosaur bone armor toreinforce his feral, untamed fighting style and highlight his raw power.
Hulk can overpower opponents at any range with sheer force. Channeling his anger builds his unique Gamma Gauge. When it reaches maximum, Hulk enters Gamma Rage which significantly boosts his strength and speed.
Build up the Gamma Gauge and unleash devastating one-shot attacks at just the right moment to deal massive damage.
New playable character: Black Panther
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Ruler of the great African nation of Wakanda, Shuri protects her country as the Black Panther.
Having only recently inherited the mantle, she struggles with doubts about whether she is truly ready for the role.
As a new threat approaches, Shuri must make critical decisions, not only as a warrior, but as a queen who must balance tradition and progress.
When we decided to include her in the roster, her character backstory was discussed and established early on. Having only recently taken up the mantle of Black Panther alongside her existing role of Wakanda’s chief scientist, Shuri’s design reflects this important transition.
Sleek, athletic lines emphasize a sense of speed befitting an acrobatic fighter, while preserving the primal wildness that defines the role. At the same time, subtle touches of Wakandan royalty are woven into the finer details of her suit, reflecting the weight of leadership she now carries.
In combat, Black Panther excels with swift movement and long reach using the Spear of Bashenga. She possesses a high-speed mobility skill called Bast’s Blessing, allowing her to dash in multiple directions. Bast’s Blessing consumes a dedicated gauge, but it can be canceled from normal attacks and skills, enabling varied and flexible combos and mixups.
Dominate mid-range battles with precise spear attacks, then close the distance with lightning-fast movement to overwhelm opponents up close.
New threat revealed: The Champion
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The latest trailer also introduced a new character: The Champion.
One of the Elders of the Universe, Champion has existed since the birth of the universe and travels the cosmos alongside his right-hand showwoman, Promoter. A cosmic conqueror obsessed with hand-to-hand combat, he journeys from planet to planet in search of worthy opponents.
Those who fail to satisfy his thirst for battle face the ultimate consequence: the destruction of their entire world.
And now, his next target has been chosen: Earth.
Under Promoter’s direction, the “Challenge of the Champion” tournament has been announced. Teams of four will battle through qualifiers, earning the right to face Champion himself. But is there more to this sinister game than just sport?
The Fighting Avengers enter the tournament as one of its leading contenders. More details about Champion will be revealed soon!
What’s next?
Did you enjoy the hands-on demo at EVO Japan? Thank you so much for all your feedback! We truly appreciate it and it is already helping shape development.
Next up, we’ll be bringing the newest playable build to:
Combo Breaker 2026, starting May 22 in Chicago, Illinois
Hong Kong Comic Con 2026, starting May 29 in Hong Kong
The build will include the newly announced Black Panther and the Wakanda stage, for a total of 13 playable characters and five stages. If you’re attending either event, be sure to stop by and try it for yourself!
Development is entering its final stages, and the entire team is working hard every day to deliver the best possible experience at launch.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support! We’ll have more news to share soon!
Hey, everybody! Sid and I are back this week to celebrate the launch of Saros with a special interview featuring Actor Rahul Kohli and Creative Director Gregory Loudeni from Housemarque.
Stuff We Talked About
Next week’s release highlights:
Wax Heads | PS5
Mixtape | PS5
Arc Raiders PS5 Pro update — The new PS5 Pro update is now available and it brings PSSR upscaling and other enhancements to the third-person extraction shooter.
4:Loop The Scanner boss design — The feature offers a walkthrough of the design process behind this ominous cube from the developers at Bad Robot Games. Learn how staying in motion is key to survival, and how each boss encounter is a unique puzzle.
The Blood of Dawnwalker impressions — Coming to PS5 on September 3, dive into the unique time mechanics where time passes by a little or a lot, depending on your actions. Will you be able to save your family in the 30-day timeframe?
NBA The Run gameplay reveal — Get your first look at the high-octane, momentum-based gameplay inspired by classic streetball video games. Make sure your sneakers are laced up for when this game comes to PS5 this June.
007: First Light hands-on — The latest look uncovers how Bond deploys stealth, action, and charm in his origin story. The game launches on PS5 May 27.
The Cast
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Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE
Thanks to 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 share moments from your favorite cozy games using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
elizado_shares a plant and book-filled room in When The Past Was Around.
PattyGnandshares Swann laying in bed with her cat in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.
call_me_xaviishares the comfy quarters of Stardew Valley
xenobitzshares a grilling picnic in progress in My Time At Sandrock.
KevinFerna43259shares the titular stray cat taking a nap in Stray.
FuchsFeuer22763shares a cozy sweater and scarf-based outfit in Infinity Nikki
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Celebrate SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on May 5, 2026
Next week, share moments from your favorite game where characters are celebrating. Use #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
007: First Light hands-on report — using stealth, action, and charm to become a legendary spy https://ift.tt/uNkSA0o
When it was first announced that Hitman: World of Assassination developer IO Interactive was taking on the James Bond franchise with 007: First Light, it sounded like the perfect match of license and studio. The Hitman games focus on stealth, cunning, planning, and improvisation — a perfect fit for the legendary spy.
I recently went hands-on with 007: First Light across three missions, and saw first-hand how IOI has created a Bond game that combines action with a more thoughtful spy experience.
Bond from the beginning
Unlike the Bond film series, 007: First Light tells a new story, set in the modern era, that delves into Bond’s origins. When we first meet IO’s take on James Bond, he’s serving in the Royal Navy, a crewman on a mission in Iceland. Suddenly, missiles hit the two helicopters on the mission, and they crash on a nearby coastline. Bond makes it to shore and immediately finds himself sneaking past hostile mercenaries as they search for any survivors.
Before long, Bond is contacted via radio by an MI6 operative, and with no one else left, he’s pressed into service to retrieve some mysterious item. The mission gives a sense of Bond’s capabilities — even at this early point in his career, he’s able to keep his cool and analyze the situation thoughtfully, quickly donning a parka to disguise himself among the mercenaries and gather information.
But we also see that this younger Bond isn’t easily swayed from his convictions, and that he can be impatient and maybe a bit reckless. He eventually ignores his new MI6 handler and risks his life to save other operatives who’ve been captured by the enemy soldiers. After a harrowing trip through the camp to save the captives, the mission culminates in an action-packed chase as everyone escapes.
Welcome to MI6
Despite disobeying orders, Bond’s performance in Iceland got him noticed. After First Light’s take on Bond film opening credits, we headed to Malta for MI6 training.
Bond’s goal here is to make it past a group of soldiers patrolling ruins while his instructors look on. You can use stealth, staying behind cover or hiding in tall grass, or go loud with your fists and any weapons you find along the way. You’re also outfitted with Q gadgets, which provide lots of ways of dealing with enemies, both in and out of combat.
Holding L1 activates your Q Lens, which lets you see enemies through walls and highlights devices you can hack by hitting the X button to create distractions. Your watch can also fire a laser with Square to do things like cut ropes or explode devices to injure nearby enemies.
If you are spotted, you can take on enemies with Bond’s fists. Throwing punches is done with the Square button, and you can block and parry blows with Circle or sidestep with X. Timing those moves correctly is essential — even on the easier difficulty settings, First Light’s enemies are brutal fighters, especially when they gang up.
Luckily, Bond’s good at finding ways to gain an advantage. You can bounce enemies off hard surfaces to stun them, or grab nearby objects with Triangle to bash them. Holding L1 also gives you access to all your gadgets during fistfights and gunfights, so you can use your Q Watch’s laser to blind opponents or hack something to knock them off balance, before you come in with a haymaker. With an enemy off-balance, you can execute a takedown to finish them off by pressing X and Circle buttons together.
In the training mission, I felt Hitman’s influence on 007: First Light in its mix of stealth and action, its emphasis on improvisation, and its freedom to approach problems from multiple angles. But 007 stands apart with how many ways you can put together different actions to get out of trouble, and how quickly Bond can switch between all of them. The fun is in chaining together options on the fly to beat enemies down or just slip out of sight.
Practicing the craft
The third mission, Kensington, showed how you’ll need to use Bond’s fast thinking, spy capabilities, and charm as much as his fists and his marksmanship skills.
The level starts with Bond returning to his apartment after a mission, only to be attacked by assassins. After a tough fight, gunfire explodes through a window, forcing you to scramble over rooftops, staying behind cover and hacking distractions, to reach the shooter.
He escapes, but Bond manages to track him across London to a gala at a museum.
The gala is where 007: First Light drew most from Hitman in my preview, opening up into a “wide-linear” level with lots of options. To find a way into areas off-limits to guests, you can eavesdrop on conversations and talk to characters to gain information. You can also use your gadgets, including a poison dart that temporarily makes whoever it hits feel sick, to distract people so you can pick their pockets or sneak by.
I overheard a public relations director talking about a journalist she was supposed to meet and opted to impersonate him to get past security. But while Bond is a smooth talker, you still have to listen closely; the director had actually mentioned two names, and I had to choose one.
I picked the journalist she’d seemed less annoyed with, and she happily directed me past security to the press room — but when I used the same name at the press room, the woman handing out credentials said he’d already checked in. Bond smoothed over the flub with some flirting, and I used a dart to get the woman to leave so I could steal what I needed.
All kinds of improvisation
Tracking down the assassin in the museum’s basement led to an intense boss fight. Since Bond was unarmed, I stealthily used Bond’s gadgets to hit the assassin with traps, like dropping a chandelier on him. After some developments in First Light’s story, I spent the rest of the mission trying to escape the museum.
When machine gun-armed mercenaries streamed into one art exhibit with walls covered in display panels, I combined all of Bond’s tricks — stealth, fistfighting, gadgets, and improvisation — to take them on. I thinned them out by dropping more chandeliers and blowing up the panels, confusing and disabling them.
They eventually caught up with me, but a takedown on one let me grab his gun. I dodged from cover to cover as I shot at the mercenaries, before detonating a fire extinguisher with my watch laser to distract them as I slipped out the door.
The mission eventually ended with the 007 theme music ramping up as Bond hijacked a garbage truck, with mercenaries in hot pursuit. I plowed through buildings, ran mercenary cars into walls, and eventually smashed through a mall to escape.
The three missions in the preview highlighted how IOI’s combination of action, improvisation, and freedom captures not only the action of the Bond franchise, but the experience of being a smooth and savvy spy, too. You can earn your 00 status when 007: First Light hits PlayStation 5 on May 27.
Resident Evil Q&A: Director Zach Cregger shares inspirations and a new film teaser https://ift.tt/A4sKfp8
A new teaser trailer has revealed the first terrifying look at Resident Evil, director and writer Zach Cregger’s ode to the beloved horror franchise. We had the chance to sit down with Cregger to dive into how he’s crafting an original story that stays true to the series.
PlayStation Blog: What is your earliest memory of Resident Evil as a series?
Zach Cregger: My earliest memory of Resident Evil had to be playing [Resident Evil] 2. I think I played 2 before I played 1, and I don’t think I played anything like it, it’s the first survival horror game that I remember playing. I definitely played it before Silent Hill, and I just loved this new mechanic of resource conservation. You had to be completely aware of how many bullets you had, and how many healing items you had. You’d make these tough decisions about – what am I going to carry with me? What am I going to leave behind? It was such a unique mechanic. And it felt for me, with all the Resident Evil games, or with most of them, some of them get a little too arcade-y for my taste, but I really like the survival horror mechanics of moving slow and with deliberation. That was something that was really important to me to bring into the movie.
Everybody has a favorite moment from the games just jumping out of their skin terrified. What is your favorite scare in the Resident Evil series?
Now, I have to say I was playing it in VR, so I’m gonna put that out there, but it was in [Resident Evil] Village. It’s when you go into the doll house, and you go down in the basement, and you’re assembling that giant doll on the table, and you get hunted by this giant baby. There was something about the sounds that baby made, and the lights cut out, and you’re running through these halls and you have to hide under a bed.
It was the only time playing a video game I’ve ever actually just noped out and taken a break. I was just like, “This is too intense.” I took the headset off, I had a cup of coffee or something, went back in and finished it later. But I mean, that really got me, it’s honestly terrifying.
What initially sparked your interest to create a Resident Evil film?
I wanted to do a movie that was following a character from point A to point B, because that’s what those games do so well. You go on this crazy journey, and you go through all these different environments, and things just seem to be escalating and escalating. That feels so cinematic to me. So I wanted to tell a story that could take place in the Resident Evil world, but wasn’t telling a story that the games had already told. To me, I would feel like there’s kind of no winning there if I were to tell Leon’s story, because the games do such a great job. It would just be kind of redundant, and ultimately, I think, disappointing. So I would rather just kind of celebrate everything I love about the games by telling the story that could exist on the sidelines of one of the games.
So the world of [Resident Evil] 2 is kind of where this takes place, even though I’d make a couple of little shifts for dramatic license. It’s just following a different person who’s on a mission in this horrible night when things are going wrong in Raccoon City, and they’ve got to get something from point A to point B. And as they go, they encounter all of the same sorts of things you would encounter in the games. I wanted to keep true to like [in the games], you start with a pistol, you graduate to a shotgun, and then eventually you find an MP5. You’re always worried about how many bullets you have, and you’re getting injured and all those things. So it was such a fun challenge for me to try and write a game as a movie.
As you mentioned, this is not a retelling of the games, this is something set in the world of it. What would you say is essential to the world of Resident Evil?
Well, the world of Resident Evil is that this T-virus that the Umbrella Corporation is responsible for has caused a terrible zombie mutant breakout. And so things are going completely amok everywhere you look, and that’s a fun playground for me.
We’ve seen the heroes in Resident Evil games – Leon, of course, is tactical, he has training, he knows what he’s doing. But we’ve had newer characters like Ethan Winters (Resident Evil 7 and Village) and Grace (Resident Evil Requiem) in the games that are sort of dropped in this world and they don’t know what they’re doing. Is Austin [Abrams, who plays lead character Bryan] following that tradition of trying to figure out what to do?
Austin is very much like an avatar for me, or what I expect the average video game player would react if they were thrust into the game themselves. So he’s just a normal guy. He’s not particularly good at combat in any way, shape, or form. He’s athletic, but he’s not an athlete, he’s just a guy. He’s just a good natured, hapless dude who gets sucked into a nightmare. And so it was really fun to just think, how would I react authentically if I saw a mutant dog attack me? What would that gamut of emotion look like? And Austin’s just so fun to watch, he’s perfect for it.
In the Resident Evil games, the environments themselves feel like a character. What are some of the environmental setups that you feel are going to be the most important for a movie like this?
I think the key for the environment to make a movie out of Resident Evil, is it has to keep changing. Even though, [Resident Evil] 2 famously, most of it takes place in one location, the police station. Still, you’re always kind of unlocking new areas within and then you eventually go down into the parking garage, and then you go to other places. So the environment has to keep changing, and you have to be able to keep discovering new places. That’s something that this movie really leans into. You’re on a journey, and you really don’t spend too long in any one spot. And every new location that you go to harbors a new, unique danger.
As you mentioned, this movie is something that exists outside of the games. But did you feel a call to include easter eggs from the games?
Yeah, there’s a lot of easter eggs for the games, and that goes beyond things like the weapon progression and the resource management. [Resident Evil] 4 is probably the game I played the most, so I took a lot of healing items, I mimicked them exactly, I put them in the film. I don’t want to say [too much], gamers will see it and they’ll recognize it. But there’s a lot of little visual things and thematic things, there’s lots of the games in there, for sure.
Is there anything that you would like to say to fans before the movie comes out?
I feel so sensitive about talking about the movie on behalf of the game fans, because I think some of the fans are only going to be happy if I tell the story of the games. And I’m not doing that, because I feel like I wouldn’t do it justice. I feel like the games do such a great job of telling that story.
If you were personally stuck in the world that you have created, which Resident Evil gaming character do you wish was there to help?
Oh, well, that’s easy. If I was stuck in my movie and I could pick any Resident Evil character, I would bring Leon because I would just bear hug myself around him, close my eyes, and just let him protect me.
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie hits theaters September 18.
NBA The Run comes to PS5 this June https://ift.tt/w0jnPzi
Get ready to Run! Today, our team at Play by Play Studios is excited to drop our first gameplay trailer and to let PlayStation fans know NBA The Run will be releasing this June.
Today, we wanted to break down some different parts of the game fans have been asking about, so let’s get to it:
Knockout tournaments
Every game in NBA The Run throws you into a four-round knockout tournament, played on iconic streetball courts around the world. Games are short, quick burst rounds that keep you on your toes with randomized rulesets that will force you to change up strategy on the fly, game to game. How many Trophies can you stack?
In the zone
This is a momentum-based system that unlocks powerful, signature abilities that vary depending on the player – think of it like activating an “ultimate” in a hero game or just like when your favorite NBA player heats up, takes over, and can’t be stopped. From blowing through defenders at the rim with Posterizer to clamping up on defense with The Shadow, these boosts can flip a game in a heartbeat. Make big plays to unlock it quickly, then time it right to swing the momentum of the game and take over.
The Shop
We know your time is valuable, and we wanted to create an unlock system that lets you prioritize which rewards you get for getting dubs. Win matches to earn Cred, our in-game currency used to unlock cosmetics like jerseys, advanced dunks, taunts, badges, and banners. From throwback NBA fits to 720 dunks, too small taunts, and more, there are plenty of ways to show off your own style. The ultimate prize for many, including us on the dev team, is Rookie Variants. From young Steph Curry in ‘09 to KD on the Super Sonics, we have 5 rookies of NBA All-Stars who not only look different, but play different too.
Street legends
The Shop isn’t the only way you unlock things in NBA The Run. Ranking up also gets you one of the most anticipated aspects of the game – our own streetball legends. These characters were with us since the start of development. They’re some of the best players in certain areas, but they also have huge, glaring weaknesses. We can’t wait to see how the community uses them. We’re excited to announce today that our own announcer, Bobbito Garcia, will be a playable legend – his sick handles are sure to break some ankles.
We’ve said it from the very beginning that we’re building NBA The Run brick by brick with our player community. We built our last court going into the game at launch after a fan vote, we’ve taken their suggestions for advanced dunk animations, taunts and even some different ways to play, including adding a Shootaround mode for practice, and Knockout Friends, a private tournament mode that lets you play alone against AI, with friends against AI, or head to head against anyone you want to invite in (up to 48 players at launch).
This is truly a dream project for all of us at Play by Play Studios. We’re a small team of industry veterans and lifelong hoop fans who grew up in a golden era of basketball games. We hope you and your friends can also join us on this epic run. Wishlist at PlayStation Store now.
