Player 2 Vs State Of Play June 2026
PlayStation built this one up to be big, so let’s see if they can meet the hype and expectation. State Of Play for June 2026 is here, so join editors Matt Hewson and Paul James as the pair break down each game shown in this massively anticipated showcase.
Marvel’s Wolverine
Paul: Wolverine was absolutely my most anticipated game of 2026, until Kena: Scars Of Kosmora was announced, of course. With Kena not showing up as I’d expected in this showcase, that left Wolverine to dazzle me, and dazzle it did. Like, sure, I feel like I know the Insomniac Marvel formula like the back of my hand, so the transition between sequences felt very familiar, but the action itself was somehow more brutal than I’d expected, the combat looks sweet, and the game is undoubtedly gorgeous.
The biggest disappointment for me came after the stream when they confirmed that there’s no physical collector’s edition. Seriously? WTF?
Matt: What excites me most is that Wolverine seems to be eschewing the open-world of Spider-Man and taking a more… Uncharted route (sorry.) The world needs more linear games, and it is absolutely the right call for Logan and his grumpy violence. The combat looks to be spot on, and as long as there is more meat on the bones than just gratuitous gore, I am totally down for this one.
I guess the only thing that is a little disappointing is that they are redoing the Trask/Sentinels again. It would have been nice for a fresh story, or possibly even the Japanese storyline… oh well, in the inevitable sequel, I guess.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Paul: I’m no fighting game guy, as is well documented, but Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is looking really, really good. The villains introduced for today’s showcase worked a treat, and the action looked frenetic as hell. I could actually give this fighting game a go! Shoutout also to Carnage, we should have gotten you following Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, so I’m glad you’re getting some love now
Matt: I am a fighting game fan, and I am very, very excited about this one. The Marvel Vs games always held a special place in my heart, and Tokon looks to recapture that spirit. I just hope there is some chunky single-player content, a la Mortal Kombat, to go along with what I am sure is a great fighting system. If so, this one could be an all-timer.
Rayman Legends Untold
Paul: Firstly, go check out Jess’ preview! Secondly, I’m down. I loved Rayman Origins, and loved what I played of Legends, but never properly saw the game out. Now I’ve got a chance to redeem myself and do it differently. October first feels insanely close, so I’m super down to jump back in and give this one a second try.
Matt: I have said in the past that Rayman Legends is the best ever 2D platformer, and I stand by that. So I have to say I am both excited and apprehensive. A complete redo like this threatens to make what made the original so wonderful, but at the same time, it really has a chance to enhance it. Jess was pretty positive about her hands-on, so I am leaning on the glass-half-full side. But seriously, don’t stuff this Ubi.
Bancho The Chef
Paul: So when the game was defining itself as a prequel, I had no idea what game Bancho was a prequel to. So, of course, I come to find out after the fact that the game that I’ve spent ages wanting to play, but never got to it, Dave the Diver, is the initial game. Now I need to force myself into Dave The Diver to get myself mentally set for this, or it’ll just become one of those games that I want to play, but never got around to because my OCD for playing games in sequential order kicks in
Matt: This looks like a funky good time in a very cool world, but like Paul, I need to dive into Dave first.
Kemuri
Paul: I’m not usually into overly Japanese titles, they’re just not to my sensibilities, and yet Kemuri really grabbed me. Then, to find out that this is the game from the internet’s favourite Japanese developer, Ikumi Nakamura, took my excitement up a few additional notches. Kemuri looks great, and could be a hell of a lot of fun in co-op, so who is ready to party up with me?
Matt: This looks like Devil May Cry crossed with Left 4 Dead and I can get down with that idea. Super stylish, tonnes of attitude and what looks to be a funky combat system, I can totally get on board here.
Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis
Paul: Disappointing to see the delay for Tomb Raider, but we always knew that there would have to be some casualties in the GTA VI blast radius. February is not a bad time to jump in, though. The summer vibes are still strong here at that point, so I’ll be keen to stop burning alive, pop on the AC, and jump onto the couch to play a new Lara Croft game. Sign me up.
Matt: This was a much better showing for me than its reveal, everything looks to be more in line with what I want from a Tomb Raider game in the year 2026…well, 2027. I am concerned about the combat a little, but that could just be pre-release jitters on my behalf.
The Lost Wild
Paul: So many Jurassic Park vibes, and then they went and titled it The Lost Wild. Legal troubles incoming?
Setting that aside, though, I’m a big fan of the tone of The Lost Wild. I’m not a big horror/suspense guy, but this trailer seemed to demonstrate a nice blend of those elements along with the magic of exploring a world filled with dinosaurs. I’ll be watching out for The Lost Wild with great interest in the months to come.
Matt: The Dino Crisis game, we are never going to get or a lawsuit from Stephen Spielberg waiting to happen? You be the judge. Either way, it looks like this could be a nifty survival horror experience that fans of ancient reptiles will be sure to get a kick out of.
Phantom Blade 0
Paul: A cheeky delay for Phantom Blade 0 that absolutely places the game in the dangerous GTA VI launch window. There’s a lot of hype for Phantom Blade 0, and as I’ve previously stated, I like the vibe. I just need to know that the accessibility options are going to be there to allow Soulsborne scrubs such as myself in on the fun
Matt: I am in the same boat as Paul, if this game leans more towards Devil May Cry than Souls, I am absolutely in. I just need to get some hands-on to confirm. I love the style, though, and even if it doesn’t turn out to be a game for me, it looks like a quality title.
Dune: Awakening
Paul: I’ve got a colleague at work who doesn’t go a day without talking to me about Dune Awakening and all that he gets up to on a nightly basis. Now that the game is coming to PlayStation, and will have some kind of single-player mode, I am super down to jump on the bandwagon. Keen to see and learn more.
Matt: Survival stuff like this is just not my thing, even when it is attached to a big-name IP. It does look great, though and from what I can gather, the PC EA release has been pretty successful, so it is great to see it hit the consoles.
Dynasty Warriors 3: Remastered
Paul: Dynasty Warriors 2 and 3 are where my love of musou started, and so to go back to where that love first began is pretty awesome. I don’t have a great many thoughts here, because the game is ultimately pretty basic compared to the games that have come since, but I’m there for the purity and simplicity of the experience.
Matt: I was pretty late to the party when it came to the Musou genre, but I have enjoyed quite a few recent entries, so I am pretty keen to go back to where it all seemed to gain momentum.
No Rest For The Wicked
Paul: I’ve been watching on, wishing I could play No Rest For The Wicked for years now, and finally the game is getting a 1.0 release and a PS5 game. This will be Moon Studios’ first-ever PS5 game (come on, it’s not too late to port the Ori titles!), and I’ll be there to meet them on launch day. The game keeps expanding and keeps getting more impressive. I’m in.
Matt: I have dabbled in No Rest for the Wicked, and I have to say, it is tough, but in a sort of way that I can get behind. I need to play more, but I will stick with my PC copy. Good for the console warriors, though, because it should be perfect while sitting on the couch.
Onimusha: Way Of The Sword
Paul: The one reservation I had held about Onimusha: Way Of The Sword was that it might have been too much of a Soulslike. Everything else looked awesome, but now Capcom has unleashed a demo on the world, so I can get a definitive answer on that one reservation. I look forward to coming back to a conversation about this game soon, because I’ll have hands-on experience on my side!
Matt: I am in the same boat as Paul. I don’t want Souls, so I will be playing the demo to find out if it is for me. Looks stunning though, and Capcom are on such a run right now.
Silent Hill: Townfall
Paul: Still not a horror guy, but these recent Silent Hill games are infused with so many intriguing elements that it is becoming increasingly hard to resist them. I’m going to be keeping an eye on Townfall ahead of its launch in September.
Matt: Of all the recent Silent Hill stuff, this one interests me the most. It seems to be dabbling in something new, and I love that. I am also digging the style it is putting down. I will be watching this one closely in the lead-up to its release.
Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve + Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
Paul: I’m not a flight sim or really all-around flying game guy. I’ll pass on Ace Combat, but I’m certainly appreciative of the cinematic qualities of this.
Matt: I absolutely am an Ace Combat guy, even though I only jumped in at Assault Horizon. Give me some cheesy ass story, crazy politics and an excuse to dive into the best dogfighting this side of X-Wing Alliance (showing my age again), and I am a happy man.
Stuntman: Hollywood
Paul: I mean, this one could be good stupid fun, and potentially exactly what I need when the game comes out. Right now though, I’m not hankering for a game like Stuntman, so hopefully I’m in more of a mood for it when the game launches. It definitely looks fun, though
Matt: Never played the original, so I am not really sure where I stand on this one. Love that they have seemingly licenced a whole bunch of Hollywood classic cars though, so it could be a good bit of fun. I am not all in, but I can be convinced.
ILL
Paul: ILL by name, and making people ill by nature. The brutality of ILL has put me right off the game, and I honestly don’t see any scenario where I actually pick it up when it releases. I know the crowd who loves their gruesome horror games will adore it.
Matt: Body horror, so not my thing, but I know a few of our other writers will be keen.
Control: Resonant
Paul: Sony had the marketing deal, so I was confident that we’d see Control pop up. I don’t think we learned too much new about the game from this trailer, but I was excited to see it and its release date, nonetheless. I worry about the game dropping into what is quickly becoming the ugliest release window in gaming (the late September, early October, pre-GTA window) because Remedy deserves the sales to go with the acclaim, and I worry that the game will be lost in the shuffle. Hoping to be wrong.
Matt: Just give it to me now. Easily my most anticipated game of the year, and every little scrap makes me want it more. I have to know how it all fits in, how the hiss got out and if Ahti comes back for another round of Karaoke.
Marathon
Paul: I could come on board for PvE, but the rest is not my speed. It’s just too hardcore at the moment, and that’s really, really off-putting. Which is a damn shame because I know it plays well, as you’d expect from Bungie, and the game looks stunning.
Matt: I am just waiting for the PvE stuff to come in. The shooting and world are fun, but I just can’t do competitive anymore.
PlayStation Plus
Paul: I am so unbelievably frustrated with the state of PlayStation Plus classics at the moment. In the early days, we got two or three games per month, and that has now dropped to one. Sadly, most of the time, the games that do come are fairly middling. These games weren’t awful, but they aren’t the acclaimed games people are longing for, nor are there enough of them. What we’re being offered at this tier, especially for regions like Australia, where we don’t get the game streaming, is simply not good enough. I’ve got a rant coming in an upcoming issue of RPM (please buy our magazine and check it out), I’m real angry.
Also, I couldn’t help but laugh at RuneScape being a thing in 2026
Matt: I thought I was the only one who still remembered Psi-Ops. Good to see that’s not the case.
Until Dawn 2
Paul: I really liked Until Dawn, the PS5 version sucks because it really lost the essence of what the original version on the PS4 was, but with a sequel being built from scratch, assessing its own formula, I’m hopeful that this one can be a hit, just as the first game was. I’ll be watching Until Dawn 2 really closely over the next 12 months.
Matt: I wasn’t a huge Until Dawn fan, but then I never played it with a group of people while having a few beers, which I have since learned is the best way to experience these sorts of games. That is how I shall be playing Until Dawn 2. Also, Peter Stormare is always a welcome addition to anything.
God Of War: Laufey
Paul: So I remember all of the speculation after God of War Ragnarok, where people were wondering if we were gonna go to Egypt or if we were going to go to see the Chinese gods or any number of different realms. So what I love so much about this new game is that we’re just kind of getting all of them at once. I’m loving the way the game looks, I’m loving the way it looks to be playing, and I’m loving how much gameplay we got to see.
This is proof that you don’t need Kratos to be the headline act to be an amazing God of War game. They didn’t announce a release window, but I expect that it will be 2027, and I’m really hyped for it.
Matt: I made the mistake of looking on the internet after this trailer, and the toxic bullshit has already started. Ugh. I, for one, am cheering that we get a chance to explore a different part of this amazingly detailed universe that Santa Monica has created, and Deborah Ann Woll is an absolutely top-notch actress.
I loved the look of the combat, and I am dying to learn more. This one will be Sony’s big end-of-year game in 2027 at the earliest, so the wait will be painful.
Final Thoughts
Paul: I must admit I expected more, and even games like Kena: Scars Of Kosmora, and Intergalactic to all show up. They didn’t, but it didn’t derail the show. There’s been a lot of justified criticism of PlayStation’s first parties and what they’ve been doing in the live service realm, and the many failures they’ve seen there. The consistent feedback from myself and many others had been “Feel free to engage in life service, but don’t forget what put you in this position to begin with.” What put them in the position to begin with were exceptional single-player narrative-driven adventures, and today was the first sign in a few years, where I saw that version of PlayStation coming back. To do what they’ve done without Kena, without intergalactic, and without having to really lean too heavily on a lot of their other studios, who be various points of development, or even announce games too soon, was fantastic.
Though the show was great, but not superb, I’m delighted with the direction they’re heading in, and I feel like there’s so much more room for growth still. Now onto Geoff’s show, where hopefully some of those other games I was wanting to see appear.
Matt: A pretty solid show for mine. Started out super strong, lost its way in the middle a touch, but finished with a bang. Still a little light on for first-party games, with 3rd parties doing a lot of heavy lifting, but the first-party stuff they did show was super strong. Maybe, just maybe, the stupid F2P live service boat has finally sunk, and Sony is trying to correct course back to what they did so damn well for so long. Fingers crossed that is the case.
