Sony State of Play Recap: Wolverine Gameplay, God of War: Laufey Reveal, 2026 Lineup Breakdown

Sony's latest State of Play event lasted about an hour, which is actually quite close to the mark, given it ended at around 70 minutes. Throughout the event, it was evident that the company continued its tradition of featuring many third-party games, especially since PlayStation is one of the most popular platforms for external developers to launch games.

There were, however, two notable first-party announcements that took center stage in setting the event's tone. Wolverine is what the State of Play threw right into you from the very beginning, without even giving you much time to prepare before throwing you straight into the thick of things. The first portion of the video depicts Wolverine attempting to rescue a mutant from capture by military personnel or other armed groups. After that, it's nothing but all-out action as you get down to controlling Logan.

A large part of the worry about the upcoming Wolverine game has been how Insomniac Games would manage its tone.

This includes whether the developers would go full throttle for an M rating. Based on your experience here, it appears that the worries can be put aside, as this game doesn't shy away from anything. Wolverine is seen ripping into his opponents in close combat situations using heavy amounts of hack-and-slash gameplay, accompanied by visible blood throughout his encounters.

As you look at his gameplay, you are also able to see just how much Wolverine manages to get hit during his fights. There are tears in his uniform, injuries all across his body, and constant attacks coming his way in the form of gunfire, melee combat, and other things. However, one of the best things you'll see is Wolverine's regeneration taking place in real-time as you play the game.

This involves seeing his health points slowly rise as long as he isn't getting hit, even to the point where his injuries look like they're healing before your very eyes. In addition, there are instances of stealth in some parts of the mission, but they do not last long. Upon discovering the protagonist, the game becomes aggressive as the enemies get killed up close.

In one scene, Wolverine is covered in blood, suggesting that the tone Insomniac is trying to set with the game differs considerably from that of their previous Spider-Man games. Also, another notable aspect of the reveal was the presence of other members of the X-Men team. In the game's trailer, one sees Jean Grey and her abilities used on-screen. This is a clear indication of where the game might head next, both in its current form and in future installments of the Insomniac games. After seeing the trailer, one can imagine a full-fledged X-Men game in the future.

The game's launch remains set for September 15, while pre-orders became available immediately after the title's reveal.

Following the Wolverine entry, the State of Play entered an extensive period of third-party games announcements, gameplay trailer releases, and actual release dates. But one aspect quickly stands out among all these new titles: many publishers seem to be actively positioning their products before the release of GTA 6, without competing for attention with the usual Call of Duty in late October.

That is why there are so many titles coming up during late September and early October. One of the most obvious ones is Onimusha: Way of the Sword, scheduled for release on September 25. It should not come as a complete surprise, since the game was leaked earlier, but this time Capcom has finally revealed an official date. What's more, a demo of the game will be released before the official launch.

After analyzing the footage, it's clear the publisher continues to build on its success, and the upcoming game takes a slightly different path than other titles in the franchise. Silent Hill: Townfall will be released just the day before, on September 24. The gameplay featured here clearly goes down the first-person survival-horror route, with an ambiance reminiscent of Condemned.

Then again, on the same day, Control: Resonance releases, and September 24 becomes one of the most crowded release days of the year. Then, just a few days further down the line, you have Ace Combat 8 coming out on October 2. But that is not all, because if you pre-order the game, you automatically get the game called Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War as an added bonus, whether digitally or physically.

In essence, looking at your calendar, you can see a very tight eight-day period during which some of the biggest launches will take place, creating tough competition indeed.

This third-party showcase ended, and then we saw the return of Sony games, with the company revealing Until Dawn 2. The developer behind the game is Firesprite, and there have been numerous rumors that the company is developing a horror game. The rumors were confirmed. This title applies the Until Dawn mechanics and throws in a unique approach to the game.

It follows a group of friends who visit deserted places believed to be haunted. The friends record their paranormal experiences and exaggerate them for filming purposes. They may sell the footage or create a documentary out of it until they come face to face with an actual murderer. In the gameplay footage, players will experience the franchise's famous decision-making mechanics.

In one scene, the protagonist shoves the antagonist off a cliff, but they both end up falling. One ends up landing on a rock, and the other falls into water. In another announcement, it was revealed that each character in the game can live or die based on player decisions. Thus, players have the power to take the story to complete goodness or evil. Until Dawn 2 will be released in 2027.

Sony Santa Monica makes the third and last announcement during this State of Play episode, which ends with gameplay footage of a new God of War title featuring Faye. This is the game that had already been anticipated for a while, initially tied to Cory Barlog's work on the God of War saga. Indeed, the gameplay makes us believe that, yet, instead of dealing with Kratos or Atreus, we will have to do with Faye.

At first glance, one might think she is burned, since this moment alludes to God of War (2018), where the player learns that Faye's ashes need to be transported.

However, there is an important difference: the scene depicts her resurrection from the dead in the world of the gods. In terms of combat, it is significantly faster compared to previous God of War games. Faye seems to move much faster, attacking enemies by jumping from one to another and performing combo attacks in mid-air.

Overall, the battle scenes look much like those in fast-action games rather than in slow-paced ones, even though this game still does not reach the pace of the Devil May Cry series. It is also worth noting that the game looks better visually, especially given that God of War Ragnarök is cross-gen. One aspect of gameplay involves a talking sword named Ru, accompanied by a boxy figure that also takes part in combat.

It looks like the sword plays a significant role in story and gameplay. In combat, it seems able to eject the souls of enemies from their bodies, after which you can beat them independently until their souls explode when returning inside them. The story revolves around Faye, who is determined to reunite with Kratos and Atreus. This game is entitled "God of War: Laufey," using the character's full name.

Although no exact date for the release of the title has been mentioned, it can be presumed that its release will take place sometime in the year 2027. Overall, the State of Play ends with a combination of impressive first-party announcements and third-party release dates dominating the showcase. The games that made the biggest announcements were Wolverine and God of War: Laufey, while Until Dawn 2 added yet another franchise to the PlayStation line-up.

Conversely, the release schedule of the games seems to be getting busier than ever, especially in the latter part of September and early October, with several game studios launching their games prior to the release of GTA 6 and other blockbuster games. On the whole, the success of the event is in a decent state, with many impressive elements throughout.