Gran Turismo World Series 2025 Round 1 takes place in London this Saturday

Gran Turismo World Series 2025 Round 1 takes place in London this Saturday https://ift.tt/ucR0M4F

The Gran Turismo World Series racing action starts in earnest this weekend when 24 of the world’s fastest Gran Turismo racers gather at the famous BBC studios at Television Centre in West London for Round 1 of the 2025 season. If you haven’t got a ticket to see all the drama unfold in person, don’t worry. You can watch all the action live in Gran Turismo 7 and on https://www.gran-turismo.com/world/live/

Selected from the Online Qualifiers in April and May, the 12 best Manufacturers Cup competitors from the Asia-Oceania Region fly into the UK capital, with the action set to start at 16:00 British Summer Time (15:00 UTC) on Saturday, 7 June. The Manufacturers Cup is a team competition with the competitors from the EMEA Region taking the wheel for Round 2 in Berlin on 20 September before the Americas drivers in Round 3 in Los Angeles on 8 November. All three drivers compete together at the World Finals in Fukuoka, Japan on 20 and 21 December.

Broadcast Schedule – June 7, 2025

Manufacturers Cup / Nations Cup

New York (EDT)

• Manufacturers Cup 11:00
• Nations Cup 14:00

Los Angeles (PDT)

• Manufacturers Cup 08:00
• Nations Cup 11:00

Sao Paulo (BRT)

• Manufactures Cup 12:00
• Nations Cup 15:00

London (BST)

• Manufacturers Cup 16:00
• Nations Cup 19:00

Madrid (CEST)

• Manufacturers Cup 17:00
• Nations Cup 20:00

Tokyo (JST)

• Manufacturers Cup 00:00
• Nations Cup 03:00

Beijing (CST)

• Manufacturers Cup 23:00
• Nations Cup 02:00

Sydney (AEST)

• Manufacturers Cup 01:00
• Nations Cup 04:00

In the Nations Cup, the top three drivers from the 2024 season – World Champion Takuma Miyazono (JPN), Kylian Drumont (FRA) and Jose Serrano (ESP) – won automatic qualification for the 2025 edition. They will be joined in London by established stars such as former champions Valerio Gallo (ITA) and Pol Urra (ESP) with 18-year-old Samuel Cardinal from Canada the only rookie in the 12-man field. The Nations Cup action starts at 19:00 local time (18:00 UTC).

Manufacturers Cup – Round 1 London Drivers

BMW – S. Suzuki (JPN)	AMG – K. Sasaki (JPN)	Lamborghini – Y.Goto (JPN)	Lexus – K. Kawakami (JPN)
Porsche – S. Sato (JPN)	Toyota – K. Morimoto (JPN)	Nissan – H. Okumoto (JPN)	Mazda – R. Kokubun (JPN)
Ferrari – J. Hashima (JPN)	McLaren – T. Kamada (JPN)	Honda – R. Tsujimura (JPN)	Subaru – T. Miyazono (JPN)

Nations Cup – Round 1 London Drivers

France – K. Drumont(EMEA)	Spain – J. Serrano(EMEA)	Italy – V. Gallo (EMEA)	Spain – P. Urra(EMEA)
France – T. Labouteley(EMEA)	Netherlands – K. De Bruin(EMEA)	Brazil – A. Carrazza (Central & South America)	Chile – A. Inostroza(Central & South America)
Canada – S. Cardinal(North Amerca)	Japan – T. Miyazono(Asia)	Japan – T. Sasaki (Asia)	Australia – G Barbara(Oceania)

As ever, a round of the Gran Turismo World Series brings several in-game benefits featured on the World Map in GT7. Correctly predicting the winners will win you a lot of in-game Credits. Watch the Nations Cup live stream and you could pick up an Aston Martin Valkyrie with the winning country’s livery, while watching the Manufacturers Cup means you’ll be gifted a car with the winning team’s livery. *

Players can also get involved by taking part in a special time trial inspired by the Manufacturers Cup Qualifying Session using a Gr.3 car on the Tokyo Expressway – South Counterclockwise, while a new Daily Race features the same combination.

And remember to add all the Gran Turismo World Series 2025 live events to your calendar:

Round 1 – London, UK | Saturday, 7 June
Round 2 – Berlin, Germany | Saturday, 20 September
Round 3 – Los Angeles, USA | Saturday, 8 November
World Finals – Fukuoka, Japan | Saturday, 20 and Sunday, 21 December

Full details of the Gran Turismo World Series 2025 links to buying tickets can be found on https://www.gran-turismo.com/world/gt7/championships/2025/

*Entry limit to one per account for PlayStation Network. Once an entry has been submitted it cannot be withdrawn or changed. See the links below for more information. 

Predict the Winners – https://www.gran-turismo.com/gb/news/00_5536865.html
Viewers Gift – https://www.gran-turismo.com/gb/news/00_1714233.html
Lap Time Challenge – https://www.gran-turismo.com/gb/gt7/news/00_5349185.html 

PlayStation Store: May 2025’s top downloads

PlayStation Store: May 2025’s top downloads https://ift.tt/BPEydGk

It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play games topped last month’s download charts. May came and went at lightning speeds as Forza Horizon 5 won the US and EU PS5 charts, and Elden Ring Nightreign had a strong showing, releasing just at the end of the month. The PS4 charts saw a strong rise in the resistance as Star Wars Battlefront II dominated, while Ghosts of Tabor and Alien: Rogue Incursion VR became PS VR2 front runners.

Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month?

PS5 Games

US/Canada	EU
Forza Horizon 5	Forza Horizon 5
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33	EA SPORTS FC 25
DOOM: The Dark Ages	Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V	ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered	F1 25
Minecraft	Minecraft
MLB The Show 25	The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6	DOOM: The Dark Ages
EA SPORTS FC 25	RoadCraft
NBA 2K25	Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25	The Precinct
HELLDIVERS 2	Split Fiction
Split Fiction	It Takes Two
RoadCraft	Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
The Last of Us Part II Remastered	The Last of Us Part II Remastered
Phasmophobia	Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
The Precinct	Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Mortal Kombat 1	Cyberpunk 2077
Assassin’s Creed Shadows	The Crew Motorfest

*Naming of products may differ between regions
*Upgrades not included

PS4 Games

US/Canada	EU
STAR WARS Battlefront II	STAR WARS Battlefront II
Red Dead Redemption 2	Red Dead Redemption 2
Minecraft	EA SPORTS FC 25
The Last of Us Remastered	The Last of Us Remastered
Grand Theft Auto V	Minecraft
Mortal Kombat X	Grand Theft Auto V
Capcom Fighting Collection 2	A Way Out
Need for Speed Heat	Batman: Arkham Knight
Batman: Arkham Knight	Need for Speed Heat
A Way Out	Unravel Two
Gang Beasts	The Forest
Middle-earth: Shadow of War	Mortal Kombat X
Stardew Valley	Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Bully	Gang Beasts
Call of Duty: Black Ops III	Middle-earth: Shadow of War
The Forest	Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Mafia III: Definitive Edition	Watch Dogs 2
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny	Battlefield V
Bloodborne	Mafia III: Definitive Edition
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6	Tekken 7

*Naming of products may differ between regions 

PS VR2 Games*

US/Canada	EU
Ghosts of Tabor	Alien: Rogue Incursion VR
Alien: Rogue Incursion VR	Ghosts of Tabor
Beat Saber	Jurassic World Aftermath Collection
Jurassic World Aftermath Collection	Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition
Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition	Metro Awakening
Swordsman VR	Beat Saber
Among Us 3D: VR	Swordsman VR
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced Edition	Horizon Call of the Mountain
Metro Awakening	Flight Simulator Delivery 2025 VR
Pavlov	Among Us 3D: VR

*PlayStation Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included

Free to Play (PS5 + PS4)

US/Canada	EU
Fortnite	Fortnite
FragPunk	Call of Duty: Warzone
Splitgate 2	Roblox
Roblox	FragPunk
Call of Duty: Warzone	Palia
Marvel Rivals	Rocket League
Palia	Splitgate 2
Rocket League	eFootball
Apex Legends	Asphalt Legends Unite
Asphalt Legends Unite	Stumble Guys

The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo on PS5 revealed

The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo on PS5 revealed https://ift.tt/Yw1ZWix

We at CD Projekt Red are collaborating with Epic Games to push open-world game design further than ever before, and we wanted to share our progress with the gaming community through The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo — a showcase of how we’re bringing more life, depth, and reactivity to the Continent than ever before.

This isn’t gameplay of The Witcher 4, but we still wanted to incorporate CD Projekt Red’s signature storytelling into the tech demo, showing our new protagonist Ciri in the midst of a dangerous monster contract. We also reveal the never-before-seen region of Kovir, a rugged land where cities are built on trade and keep a careful distance from the military conflicts that plague the rest of the north.

But the focus of this tech demo is just that — tech — and we were proud to show it live on stage, running at 60 frames per second on a PlayStation 5. The tools highlighted won’t just power The Witcher 4, but will also be shared with the wider video game development community through Unreal Engine 5. The tech we’re creating with Epic will benefit the entire industry, ultimately bringing a better experience to players.

ML Deformer

Early in the tech demo we introduce Ciri’s horse Kelpie to the world — and how she’s far more complex than our old friend Roach. Alongside tech that makes controlling Kelpie feel much more grounded and lifelike, we’ve worked hard to develop high-quality, real-time character deformations.

ML Deformer allows elements like Kelpie’s muscles to move and flex accurately, thanks to high-fidelity data providing it with the ability to approximate complex deformations efficiently during gameplay. This allows these incredibly realistic movements to take place without the game taking a performance hit.

Fast Geometry Streaming

We’re paying attention to the large scale too. Fast Geometry Streaming allows everything in the tech demo — from the snowy mountaintops to the deep valleys and vast forests — to seamlessly load without compromising performance. It’s present throughout the tech demo, and the fact it can’t be noticed proves it’s doing its job.

Consider when we catch up with Ciri before she reaches the bustling trading hub of Valdrest, for example. We move quickly through the world, in and around different elements of the environment, but there’s no stuttering or object pop-ins. Fast Geometry Streaming is optimized to quickly load static geometry, using a lightweight method to register and unregister assets. The result is what we show throughout the tech demo: smooth and seamless world loading that allows the beauty of Kovir to shine.

Nanite Foliage

Speaking of Kovir, we take a detour through one of its dense forests while Ciri is riding to Valdrest. Nanite Foliage technology we’re developing with Epic, and how it allows our developers’ artistic vision to be fully realised in Unreal Engine 5. This tech renders incredibly detailed and realistic trees and vegetation in terms of both density and fidelity, without compromising performance.

Nanite Foliage is a new technology that efficiently renders vast amounts of foliage at runtime, making it possible to effortlessly populate landscapes with complex assets — such as lush trees with individual branches that sway in the wind.

Unreal Animation Framework

We always want to make our open worlds feel alive and lived in, and the Unreal Animation Framework shown off in the tech demo lets us add more life than ever to the villages, towns, and cities of the Continent. This tech powers advanced blending, state machines, and procedural animation workflows, letting us have many complex characters interacting with the world at once.

When we place a band on the stage in Valdrest, for example, we utilize Unreal Animation Framework to drastically increase the number of NPCs on screen. And these aren’t just simple onlookers standing still or operating on a loop; each one reacts to what’s going on around them. We want the gap between Ciri and the NPCs of The Witcher 4 to be as small as possible.

Mass Framework

Another tool that adds to the believability and lived-in feeling of the world, Mass Framework simulates large crowds and AI behaviour like the ones seen in the busy market of Valdrest. The data-driven design of Mass manages thousands of agents with minimal performance cost, making it ideal for creating realistic, dynamic populations in games.

It also allows smart objects and complex interactions to function. As Ciri approaches the market we see her bump into a man carrying a crate of apples, for example. Notice how he doesn’t just react to her collision; he loses his footing and drops several apples, which roll down the hill and trigger further, unscripted chain reactions like children running to steal one or pigs looking for an early lunch. Implementing interactions like these is one way we’re making The Witcher 4 the most immersive Witcher game to date.

Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate — hands-on report

Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate — hands-on report https://ift.tt/Mys3kbq

“Why send a train to invite us to a black hole?”

This mystery sets the stage for Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate, Bungie’s upcoming expansion to the FPS looter shooter launching July 19. Guardians receive an invite to new planetoid Kepler via a time-displaced train car, seemingly from modern-day Earth. Kepler is precariously held together by a black hole, which threatens the entire solar system if destabilized. The resulting quest introduces time distortions, new enemies, and novel abilities unique to Kepler. 

I spent hours with Bungie’s upcoming expansion, which includes a robust single-player campaign and other game-changing updates. I adventured across Kepler testing out a powerful new arsenal, transformed into a nimble ball of energy, teleported through traps, and much more. I also tinkered with Destiny 2’s new Portal system, SoloOps, and Arms Week updates, which will be available to all players (no The Edge of Fate purchase necessary).

Let’s dig into some of the highlights.

Kepler’s unusual terrain: The new planet’s exterior is rocky and dusty, overgrown with a yellow webbing and bulbous growths evocative of alien fungus. Time distortions affect the environment, features abandoned facilities and technology. Trains seemingly from Earth have mysteriously crashed on Kepler, hosting portals into unknown realms.

New friend Lodi: This fresh face greets players on Kepler, who seems mighty interested in the Guardian’s ties to Earth and a possible path back. Consistent with Kepler’s time distortions, Lodi looks and talks more like someone more from our time, dear reader, rather than the world of Destiny. He also serves as a handy narrative device for Bungie to introduce the universe of Destiny 2 to new players.

Explore with Matterspark orb: Guardians can tap new energy reservoirs and hold Square button to morph into a crackling Matterspark orb. This new contextual ability lets you zip around the battlefield, blast enemies with electricity, and explore nooks and crannies. During one combat encounter I disabled a miniboss’s shields by overcharging generator pylons hidden in the battlefield. It’s an energizing and novel change of pace. Guardians can eventually summon this power at will for even more combat and exploration options.

Teleport with the Relocator: This new piece of tech lets you take aim in third-person on distant nodes and create a temporary portal. This transportation tool lets you squeeze through narrow openings or traps, and cross vast distances to continue the quest. Bungie combines this new device with the Matterspark to create fun, inventive environmental puzzles to change up the pace.

Change the environment with Mattermorph: Pluck a chunk of potent fungus to imbue yourself with a curious Dark Matter ability – Mattermorph. Hit R1 (melee) to throw strand projectiles at glowing environmental objects like rocks and wall panels, which morphs them into new pathways through the air and across the environment. Players eventually combine these abilities to assemble craft paths through complex environments.

Potent new Exotic weapons: I experimented with three of The Edge of Fate’s intoxicating new exotics:

• Graviton Spike: A hand cannon with arc and stasis modes – one charging the other as you shoot. 
• New Land Beyond: Stack up precision hits with this sniper rifle to stack up massive damage multipliers.
• Third Iteration: My favorite. A heat-vete scout rifle that rewards precision by erupting fallen enemies in a blast of energy and making you temporarily invisible. 

Desperate mission to restore power: The “Charge” mission is the latest campaign mission I played, and it was also my favorite. The quest to restore generators is sprinkled with a mix of environmental puzzles and intense fights. Stitching together Matterspark, Mattermorph, and Relocator abilities to power generators resulted in some tricky-yet-satisfying obstacles. The mission culminates in a battle against two bosses with shields that can only be destroyed by the Matterspark’s powered-up overcharge ability, activated with L1 + R1 buttons. 

Power Plant siege: The “Transient” campaign mission tasks players to disable the House of Exile’s power plant. This cavernous facility hosts tech drawing energy from the planet’s fungal colonies. At one point in the mission enemies rig explosives that must be defused by defending a radius for a set time period. The ultimate goal is to overload the station’s core to disable an enemy warship with an immense power surge.

Portal menu: This new menu offers all players a new option to dive quickly into Destiny 2’s most popular content. Bungie’s goal is to spotlight modes with guaranteed paths to growing Guardians’ power and arsenal. This quick-play shortcut highlights modes like SoloOps, Fireteam, Pinnacles, and Crucible. The World map still provides the traditional interactive galaxy map Guardians are used to.

SoloOps: These new single-player challenges let players customize challenge modifiers (e.g. enemy melee attacks slow you, you take more damage in mid-air, enemies drop fire hazards, etc.) to increase chances for valuable rewards. Below are three of the Solo Ops I played:

• The Salt Mines:  Hunt and destroy Splinter targets throughout a cavern and blast through a gauntlet of bosses in the final stretch.
• The Conflux: Clear entrenched enemies from a cave network, then fight a shielded boss across floating platforms in the final section. Disable its shield by throwing fallen energy orbs at it.
• K1 Logistics: Venture beneath the Moon’s surface to exterminate old enemies. Deactivate a series of shielded control panels to carve a path to the end boss.

Armor set bonuses: New set bonuses entice all players to collect matching gear for extra benefits. For example, the Aion Renewal armor characteristic rewards two matching set pieces with a weapon-based speed boost, and four matching set pieces with a reactive speed boost when afflicted with slow or stasis.

Arms Week and the Shooting Range: This event launches shortly after The Edge of Fate, available to all players. The marquee feature is a new Shooting Range on The Tower that lets one to six players test their arsenal, calculating damage numbers as individuals and as a team. Arms Week also features new weapons and mods to chase, events to complete, and more.

Set your Fireteam’s course for Kepler when Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate launches on July 19.

State of Play returns June 4

State of Play returns June 4 https://ift.tt/jmEH8U2

State of Play returns June 4! Watch live for news and updates on must-play games coming to PS5. The show highlights a selection of great games from creators across the globe.

The 40+ minute show begins June 4 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST | June 5 at 6am JST on YouTube and Twitch, and will be broadcast in English. See you then!

Regarding co-streaming and video-on-demand (VOD)

Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you’re planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music.

Players’ Choice: Vote for May 2025’s best new game

Players’ Choice: Vote for May 2025’s best new game https://ift.tt/TPyqrYN

Last month, we went to the heavens, hell, and everything in between. Which game spoke to you the most?  Some of the big new releases included Doom: The Dark Ages, Elden Ring Nightreign, F1 25, and The Midnight Walk.

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.

Share of the Week: Expressive

Share of the Week: Expressive https://ift.tt/bDQi6w2

Last week, we asked you to highlight expressive faces from the games you love using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

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MrioMoreno5 shares Ellie’s face lighting up in The Last of Us Part II.

Couch_Gamer2k23 shares Maelle looking apprehensive in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

EmperorHal shares Deacon grimacing while holding a weapon in Days Gone Remastered

xirantics shares Cait Sith with a cheeky grin in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

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player1pov shares Raven looking fierce in Stellar Blade

RhodWulfLeon shares Aloy looking wistful in the grass of Horizon Forbidden West

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: Monochromatic
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on June 4, 2025 

Next week, we’re all about color. Share monochromatic moments from the game of your choice highlighting one color using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.