Horizon Hunters Gathering: Second Playtest, new Hunters, Episode, region revealed

Horizon Hunters Gathering: Second Playtest, new Hunters, Episode, region revealed https://ift.tt/jPasoey

Hi Hunters, we’re excited to be back with a big update on Horizon Hunters Gathering; let’s talk about what we’ve been up to since the first playtest a few months ago, and what you can expect from the next one. If you can’t wait, skip to the next paragraph for all the details on when it’s happening and what you can expect.

At the end of February, we invited a small group of players into the Gathering for the first time. For three days during select play windows, we saw folks get their first taste of Machine Incursion, try to master the playstyles of either Rem, Sun, or Axle (or all three.), and work together through the challenges of Cauldron Descent. We are incredibly grateful to those who took the time to play, gave us invaluable feedback on their experience, or stuck around on our official Discord server.

Since then, we’ve been focusing on a host of improvements based on that first playtest,  as well as getting additional content ready for the next one. A lot of people have also been asking questions about the game, the world of the Gathering, or some of our planned features, so if you haven’t yet: check out our ongoing developer Q&As we’ve been hosting on Discord and socials. We’ve really enjoyed sharing more about our ideas, processes, and development with you.

New playtest in May

Whether you want to return for another round, couldn’t make it into the first playtest, or prefer to experience the game firsthand, we’re happy to share that the next closed playtest will take place between May 22 and 25.*

Just like last time, the game will be playable on both PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam), with registration exclusively through the PlayStation Beta Program for both platforms. (Note: if you’re having trouble with the link, first sign in on PlayStation.com and then try clicking the link again.)

Aside from quite a bit of implemented player feedback (which we will highlight at a later date), there will be a bunch of new content to explore.

• Two new Hunters: Aside from Rem, Sun, and Axle (who have each received improvements.), you can now get to know Ensa; a charismatic Oseram smuggler with a mercenary past. Or the mysterious Shadow, a Carja covert operative who commands a fearsome Stalker machine. We will be sharing a little more about them in the coming weeks.

• A playable Episode: Episodes play a central role in the game’s narrative campaign by introducing new mysteries, characters, and mechanics. Pick your Hunter, ready up, and head into the wilds to save Ashwater Valley from a horde of machines.

• Added difficulty: Two familiar game modes return with higher stakes than ever, as the war against the machines continues to ravage the wilds:

Machine Incursion is a high-intensity mission where waves of machines pour out from underground gateways, led by a formidable boss. To make things more interesting and encourage you to return for an even greater challenge, we’ve added two additional difficulty modes: Hard and Merciless. We dare all Hunters to try and beat a Thunderjaw and a Ravager at the same time…

Cauldron Descent is a longer, multi-stage trial pushing Hunters to their limits, from brutal machine encounters to hidden doors that promise power and reward for teams prepared to open them. Coordination and teamwork with other Hunters here are key to success, and our second playtest features even more challenging rooms to explore.

• New Region: Travel to Breakers’ Bounty, featuring dense jungles and ravaged ruins bordering a scorching desert home to dangerous machines, in order to save the Oseram and stop the incursion. You’ll also still have access to Devil’s Thirst, and of course the Gathering: the central social space where you can meet other players, build your loadout, and customize your camp.

• Play your way: Training Modules have been added to improve general onboarding for the game and its systems. For players wanting to master the hunt in Solo Mode, Hunter NPCs will be available for this playtest during Episode or Machine Incursion modes. These NPCs (either Rem, Sun, or Axle) offer battle assists where possible or can automatically fill an empty spot on a three-player team.

We want to emphasize again: Horizon Hunters Gathering is a game in development; we choose to playtest early and with small numbers to focus on the core experience and implement player feedback before opening to bigger groups of players. We learn a lot from each playtest and this second one is no different; we appreciate each of you who take the time to leave us your honest thoughts.

There’s much more to explore on your next adventure into the wilds. Over the coming weeks, we will be dropping more playtest information on our Hunters Gathering Discord and social channels, so keep an eye out for news there.

For a chance to play the game between May 22 to 25, sign up via the PlayStation Beta Program. This link will automatically flag you as interested in Horizon Hunters Gathering. We will be sure to let you know when invites for the playtest are being sent.

Thanks for the continued support and all of us at Guerrilla look forward to welcoming you (back) for another hunt!

*Internet connection required for the playtest

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

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?

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 540: Surviving Saros

Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 540: Surviving Saros https://ift.tt/rkbt5RU

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here

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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.

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The Cast

Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE

O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, 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: Cozy

Share of the Week: Cozy https://ift.tt/5UtFOiQ

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.

PattyGnand shares Swann laying in bed with her cat in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.

call_me_xavii shares the comfy quarters of Stardew Valley

 xenobitz shares a grilling picnic in progress in My Time At Sandrock.

KevinFerna43259 shares the titular stray cat taking a nap in Stray.

FuchsFeuer22763 shares 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

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

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.