Marathon post-launch content includes free seasonal updates, new Runner shell, and more

Marathon post-launch content includes free seasonal updates, new Runner shell, and more https://ift.tt/sZeSUkC

A world of danger and opportunity awaits you on Tau Ceti IV. Starting March 5, Marathon will be available on PlayStation 5 and other platforms. The team here at Bungie has been working hard to bring that world to life, and we’re thrilled that players across the globe will soon be able to immerse themselves in the dark sci-fi adventure of our PvPvE survival extraction shooter.

Launching the game is just the first step in a long journey together with our players. Marathon’s living universe will continue to evolve across seasons, powered by your feedback and your impact on Tau Ceti as you continue to peel back its many mysteries. We’ve got a ton of exciting stuff cooking for you and wanted to share some of that with you here.

First thing to know: Marathon’s seasonal updates will be available to everyone. No expansions or DLC required.

Each season you’ll be challenged to discover, adapt, and master new skills and, at the start of each season, everyone will start fresh, with nothing in their vault. Seasonal resets mean that the game stays dangerous, loot feels meaningful, and there’s always an opportunity to get back into the game or bring a friend along without feeling behind the curve.

As you progress throughout the season–completing contracts and collecting faction upgrades– you’ll be granted access to stronger base stats and to better gear in the Armory. Your power floor will rise over time, and recovering from a loss will be easier, as will crafting your ideal build.

You’ll carry over things that express your identity from season to season. The titles you’ve unlocked, the Codex progression you’ve earned, as well as the cosmetics you’ve either purchased or earned will not be affected by seasonal resets.

Head over to our latest blog on Bungie’s Marathon web site to learn more about seasons. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the highlights coming to Marathon at launch and beyond.

Welcome to Tau Ceti

At launch, Marathon will include all six launch Runner shells, access to the Rook frame, aka scavenger mode, six factions, 28 weapons (plus mods, implants, cores), as well as earnable cosmetics, achievements, and storytelling through the Codex. You’ll experience all of this in three zones: Perimeter, Dire Marsh, and Outpost.

Season 1 will find players touching down planetside as the Tau Ceti gold rush begins. As a Runner, you are caught in the heated start of a proxy war between rival factions, doing your best to stay alive and even thrive. In addition to the new Ranked competitive mode, this Season will also introduce the new Cryo Archive map, both arriving early in Season 1.

Cryo Archive

Cryo Archive is Marathon’s first end-game zone aboard the derelict UESC Marathon ship. Characterized by close-quarters combat and raid-like puzzle solving, Cryo Archive finds crews of Runners clashing in the frozen hallways of the Marathon’s first deck, surrounded by cryopods, medical bays, and abandoned storage wings.

While onboard you and your crew will be cracking secure vaults and facing environmental hazards as you try to reach the ship’s most dangerous secrets. Survival here means mastering the security systems, navigating lethal checkpoints, taking on rival Runner crews, and, if you’re skilled enough, coming face-to-face with an enemy even the UESC fears.

Ranked Mode

While every run on Tau Ceti is a competition, for those who want to truly test their mettle, Marathon’s upcoming Ranked mode will bring an even sharper edge to the fight. Here, Runners will look to exfil with the most valuable loot and climb the Ranked ladders. Look for more soon.

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Season 2 and beyond

In Season 2, the UESC have noted your criminal activities and will be responding in kind. Prepare for a fight.

We’ll be bringing new content your way, including a new Runner shell: Sentinel, new weapons, mods, cores, and the new Cradle system to give you more autonomy over your Runner shell’s statistical strengths and weaknesses. We’ll also introduce the nighttime version of Dire Marsh, where you’ll be challenged to survive as the light goes out and UESC reinforcements pour in.

There is certainly more detail to share, but as we try to do when on the surface of Tau Ceti, we’re going to exercise some trigger discipline for the time being. Rest assured, we’ll have more to say about all the great stuff coming to Marathon soon.

Until then, good luck on your runs and watch your backs out there when Marathon launches on March 5.

Tides of Tomorrow: how players will impact one another’s solo adventures, out April 22

Tides of Tomorrow: how players will impact one another’s solo adventures, out April 22 https://ift.tt/sgku79V

We’re back with a lot of news about Tides of Tomorrow. We’ve released a new trailer breaking down our unique feature, Online Story-Link, and we’ve just opened pre-orders! Our pre-order bonus is the Delta Agent DLC – a special Tidewalker and Boat skin.

Tides of Tomorrow is a plasticpunk narrative adventure. Players embody Tidewalkers, mysterious beings who are linked with one another. You’ll see echoes of past players through the Tides of Times, a mysterious vision ability. Your journey takes you across a bizarre, flooded planet filled with colorful characters, dangerous secrets, and tough moral decisions. You’ll have to find a way to save the world from a deadly microplastic disease — or doom it forever.  

In my last blog post, I introduced the basics of the asynchronous multiplayer storytelling we’re building for the game. Since then, we’ve branded the feature so it’s hopefully easier for players to understand how it works. Let’s jump into all I can share about Online Story-Link and how we think narrative adventure gamers are going to have fun with it. 

Tides of Tomorrow isn’t a traditional multiplayer game. It’s single-player, but choices from other players influence your journey. Calling it asynchronous multiplayer felt too technical, while Story-Link better captures the idea simply.

Your story links to those of previous players. Their decisions shape your world. You could call it a strand-type game like Death Stranding, but here, interactions have deep narrative consequences. 

At the start of your playthrough, you pick a Story-Link seed generated by someone else’s playthrough. That seed contains everything they did: where they traveled, the choices they made, the resources they left behind, and more. From this data, the game determines how the narrative will evolve for you in each chapter of the game. Your own Story-Link data updates every time you finish a level. Other players can then choose to follow your path, and their stories will be shaped by the decisions you made. 

Each level is built from a complex web of branching narrative, states, substates, and systemic elements that shift based on player actions. You’ll experience the very concrete consequences of the previous player’s choices — NPCs will talk about them as a real character who was there recently and impacted their lives.  

In a sense, the story Tides of Tomorrow unfolds collaboratively. Your personal journey will be one of infinite possibilities, shaped by your decisions and the influence of those who came before you.  

An early example is the Pleasureland level. You participate in a boat race where you try to beat the previous player’s time (you’ll even see their ghost, like in a racing game), but that last player’s performance also affected the story. If they won the previous race, Tidewalkers have become celebrities in Pleasureland, and you’ll be welcomed as a hero… but can you live up to the hype? 

One of the game’s core themes is resource scarcity amid an environmental crisis. You’ll often have to choose between hoarding precious resources for yourself or leaving them for others in need. These decisions directly affect future players. If they run out of resources, they might even die from Plastemia (the fictional disease caused by plastic pollution). 

But in Tides of Tomorrow, death isn’t the end: it’s the beginning of a new chapter in your personal journey. 

To help you understand the kind of players you’re following, we’ve added a Trait System. This isn’t a simple good vs. evil reputation system — it’s about confronting different worldviews. Do you prioritize humanity or the natural world? Do you focus on your own survival? Are you helping other players? Or are you just here to stir up trouble? 

Your traits evolve based on your choices and become part of your Story-Link. You’ll see the dominant traits of the players you follow, giving you a sense of who they are and what their decisions might lead to. 

Will you align with their morals, or try to undo their actions? 

For example, a troublemaker might be unpredictable and fun to follow. Maybe they robbed a merchant who now hates Tidewalkers — but that gives you the chance to fix things and come out looking like the better person. 

People often ask us: What about the very first player ever? Who are they following? Well, the first players will be… us, the dev team. That’s our little bit of black magic. We’ll also partner with streamers before launch so you can use their Story-Links on day one.

Preorders are now available on PS5. If you’re a fan of our games and want to support us, check out Tides of Tomorrow at PlayStation Store.

Bringing ILL to life: How the dev translates horror filmmaking chops into the game

Bringing ILL to life: How the dev translates horror filmmaking chops into the game https://ift.tt/A8b7wos

ILL is a first-person action-horror game coming to PS5 that aims to deliver relentless terror, both when the player is in full control and during the game’s motion-captured cutscenes. I’m Max Verehin, Co-founder of Team Clout, and I’m honored to give the PlayStation community a behind-the-scenes look at the work that goes into creating the cutscenes that complement the game’s immersive, horrific gameplay.

This challenging new phase of development has been intense and unpredictable, but not entirely a leap into the unknown. Our background is deeply embedded in the language of cinema, with team members bringing extensive industry experience from working on major horror projects like the Until Dawn film and It: Welcome to Derry television series. We’ve spent years learning how a monster should move, how shadows should fall, and how a creature needs to command a frame to evoke true fear. Join us to catch a glimpse into our wonderfully engaging and deeply collaborative process.

The kind of horror we want to create

At its core, ILL is grounded, emotionally honest horror. The story unfolds inside a massive research fort overrun by a mysterious force and the Aberrations it creates. The game leans into grotesque realism and intense binaural audio designed to keep players constantly on edge.

But beyond the brutality, our focus is immersion. We want moments to feel frightening, but also human. Characters aren’t just obstacles, they are three-dimensional people with motivations and personal stories that deepen the experience. Similarly, the locations in ILL are spaces designed to feel real, like you’re actually navigating them in person. We’re creating an environment that makes the player’s imagination work against them.

Where gameplay changes everything

Our cinematic experience influences how we approach tension, pacing, and character presence. But the interactivity of video games as a medium changes that process. On set, every filming decision came back to one question: how will this feel once the player is in control?

Unlike traditional filmmaking, every scene in ILL connects directly to gameplay. The game stays in first-person, and most performance moments begin and end inside active play without cuts. We can’t rely on cinematic tricks—transitions have to return control naturally to the player, guiding what they do next and how the moment feels from their exact viewpoint.

Some cinematic ideas didn’t survive that test. If a scene disrupted the gameplay flow, we reworked it. It wasn’t an easy process, but one that ultimately made the overall play experience stronger.

Expect the unexpected

Even though we’re making a game about monsters, the performances came from real people, and that changed our expectations fast. Dramatic scenes—those including expressions of fear like screaming, and crying—are physically and emotionally demanding. They drain real energy and real emotion. We quickly adjusted our schedule to match that reality, giving actors more creative breathing room to tackle the heaviest moments earlier in the day.

Some sequences we thought would be simple turned into hours of work, requiring precise choreography and tight synchronization between performers. Capturing believable horror isn’t just about acting: it requires timing, movement, and constant iteration.

Another surprise we encountered: not every scene can be played “into the void,” or without an audience. Sometimes actors need something tangible to react to. At different points, our own producer and supervisor stepped in as stand-ins for enemy creatures so our performers had a real presence in front of them.

And despite the grim material, the set itself wasn’t always heavy. After long days, the exhausted cast would suddenly crack jokes or start singing—small human moments that made the contrast with the final in-game atmosphere even sharper.

Creative collaboration

Working closely with actors became one of the most rewarding parts of the process. Watching performers grow into roles, get more comfortable with their characters—from rehearsals to final takes—changed how we saw certain scenes.

We came in with a clear script, but actors often suggested different deliveries or interpretations. Many came from dramatic or cinematic backgrounds, and their perspective helped shape the emotional tone. Instead of feeling rigid, filming became a genuinely collaborative space where ideas evolved in real time, with contributions from differing points of view.

Acting in an almost empty space

In addition to the challenge of not having real monsters to react to, one of the other hurdles for our performers was to imagine a fully realized environment while standing in a nearly empty space. On set, props are minimal—sometimes nothing more than a stick representing a creature—while actors have to visualize the entire world around them.

To help, we used monitors showing a rough in-engine perspective from the protagonist’s POV, so performers could see their digital models moving in real time. It helped, but it also demanded focus: some actors instinctively glanced at the screens instead of staying fully in character. Directors and staging leads constantly guided performances by describing invisible walls, obstacles, and even threats. One of the game’s monster types, visible below, is just one of many that we need actors to clearly imagine in front of them.

In the end, a lot of solutions were invented on the fly: where to stand, how far to turn, how to capture emotion without breaking the technical side of the process. It’s a constant balance between creative intent and practical limits—and that’s where the “magic” happens.

ILL is in development for PlayStation 5, with release information to follow.

Players’ Choice: Vote for February 2026’s best new game

Players’ Choice: Vote for February 2026’s best new game https://ift.tt/6Ix9Tp2

Last month was filled with surprises, delights, and fights!  Some big new releases included God of War Sons of Sparta, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, Resident Evil Requiem, Nioh 3, and Reanimal. 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.

Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 535: Returning Residents

Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 535: Returning Residents https://ift.tt/FhUnmLu

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here

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Hey, everybody! Tim, Kristen, and I are back this week to talk about the horrors of Racoon City, Reanimal, and trying to conquer your backlog before a wave of new games comes for us all. Along with our various journeys through Greece in God of War Sons of Sparta.

Stuff We Talked About

• Next week’s release highlights:
  • Resident Evil Requiem (out now) | PS5
  • Scott Pilgrim EX | PS5, PS4
  • Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered | PS5, PS4
  • Rager | PS VR2
  • Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse | PS5
  • Planet of Lana II | PS5
  • Marathon | PS5
    
    
• Death Stranding 2 PC specs reveal blog —See the power requirements to connect, widescreen support, and other features.
  
  
• Scott Pilgrim EX new character blog  —  Get acquainted with Goth Neil and Lady Envy, and check out the fun new stage, Casa Vania.
  
  
• God of War Sons of Sparta The Pit blog — Time to test your Spartan resolve in the roguelike challenge mode. See how to unlock this mode early and take it on solo or with local co-op. missions and objectives.
  
  
• Life is Strange: Reunion hands-on report — Chloe and Max are back for more time manipulation shenanigans. Check out new features, including the ability to play as both the protagonist and the interactive notebook.
  
  
• PlayStation Plus Monthly Games March
  • PGA Tour 2K25 | PS5
  • Monster Hunter Rise | PS5, PS4
  • Slime Rancher 2 | PS5
  • The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road | PS5, PS4

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The Cast

Kristen Zitani –  Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE

O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, SIE

Tim Turi – Content Communications Manager, SIE

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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.]

Share of the Week: Framing

Share of the Week: Framing https://ift.tt/4iSBwqk

Last week, we asked to share well-framed moments from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

parmindernangla shares Atsu framed by the sun in Ghost of Yōtei

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artenpixels_ shares Ratchet framed by rock formations in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

jobolts_ shares Arthur framed by some tree branches in Red Dead Redemption 2

call_me_xavii shares Aloy sitting in a frame-shaped hole overlooking water in Horizon Forbidden West.

EduardoPrx shares Eve framed by a halo of lights and containers in Stellar Blade.

x01.vp shares Rèmi standing in front of a circular light in Hell Us Is

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: Heroic
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 4, 2026 

Next week, we need a hero. Share a heroic character using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Where Winds Meet launches new Hexi expansion on March 5

Where Winds Meet launches new Hexi expansion on March 5 https://ift.tt/PJhbvHx

Hello, fellow Wanderers. We’re proud to share new details about the very first major expansion to our wuxia epic, Where Winds Meet. It’s called Hexi — and it’s vast in scale and ambition!

So large, in fact, that it will be released in three distinct chapters that will be dropped from March to May 2026. It will feature three major maps with nearly 20 sub-regions – covering areas of endless deserts, ice fields, snow-capped mountains and vast swathes of grasslands. You’ll find it populated by eleven unique bosses, dozens of side quests and so much more.

We’ve tried to push boundaries, letting players inhabit characters from history and witness the era from the perspective of ordinary people caught up in the tides of history. This is what makes Hexi’s main story unique, existing outside of the game’s main timeline, and adopting a more cinematic approach to storytelling and gameplay.

There will also be a significant shift in the narrative, as we travel through time and space as if in a dream to a different era of Chinese history – the Tang Dynasty – one of the most prosperous eras of ancient China. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, however, the Hexi region loses all contact with the capital, Chang’an, and the Hexi people long for their spiritual homeland and this prompts your dream pilgrimage. 

The first chapter of the Hexi expansion is called the Jade Gate Pass and launches on March 5 (Pacific Time).  Set in a vast desert landscape, it represents the beginning of the biggest expansion since our game launched, offering up brand-new narratives, new bosses, fresh gameplay features and martial art styles.

To help you to survive and advance in the challenging desert environment, you can obtain two brand new wuxia skills in the Jade Gate Pass area. Sand Race literally allows you to surf on the sand to speed your progress, while Cosmic Reversal will empower you to reverse time itself and rebuild desert ruins. This skill will be particularly helpful for overcoming obstacles, uncovering secrets and solving puzzles. 

Whitecrown City lies between Jade Gate Pass and Liangzhou. Once the crossroads of travel from East to West and a vital part of the ancient frontier defence, now a time-eroded, abandoned shadow of its former glory.

Entering this city will rekindle ancient legends – Guo Xin – the last Grand Protector of Anxi – and the campaign boss. Standing as guardian of this lonely outpost, Guo Xin watches over the frontier in solitude. On this desolate ground, you will witness the reveal of secrets hidden deep beneath the annals of history.

Furthermore, another formidable boss in Jade Gate Pass is the Wandering Ark, whose legend is deeply embedded in the Hexi lore and is waiting to be discovered in the desert wilderness. This boss does not stay in a fixed location – it’s a colossal vessel moving freely across the desert sea. Encountering this vessel, players need to be precise and strategic in discerning where to attack this opponent, while defending against ruthless ranged and close quarter attacks.

Fortunately, to help with these daunting challenges, you’ll be provided with two new martial arts:

Spring Dreamscape is an umbrella-style martial art focused on agility, enabling fluid endless combos and giving you the upper hand in tight spaces or group skirmishes. 

Fleeting Clouds is a new Rope Dart martial art style that centres on large sweeping Area of Effects (AOE) attacks making it ideal both for crowd control and for one on one duels where you hunt down enemies for persistent relentless damage. 

We’re also going to introduce a brand-new weapon in April:

The Heng Blade is a core weapon with its own dedicated martial art system. Heng Blade combat puts the emphasis on precision, structure and decisive timing. The key lies in blending measured defence with clean, powerful strikes. Strong in mid to close-range, Heng Blade rewards spacing, discipline and making the most of brief openings and opportunities. 

Passing through the Jade Gate Pass, your next journey will head to Hexi Chapter 2: Liangzhou, where you’ll encounter the first snow-capped mountain map haunted by the lingering echoes questioning why a stranger in a foreign land is answering the call to return to their spiritual home. 

Ultimately, the final chapter of Hexi will be set in the scroll of the Painting Realm – the vast grassland of Qinchuan, and this is where the true treasure of this adventure will be found. 

But, hey – let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The road ahead is very long. It’s time, instead, to look forward to the Jade Gate Pass. Prepare yourself, wanderers, to enter Hexi, a world independent of the main timeline, where everyone is waiting to meet you in your dreams.