E3 season is here! Despite the fact that this annual video game trade show died a slow but inevitable death five years ago, I still can't help but think of summer this way. All that incense means is a bustling week when every major gaming company releases a flurry of exciting news and announcements to fill the gaming calendar ahead.
Summer Game Fest and the myriad surrounding events, both physical and digital, are helping to keep the E3 spirit alive, and include the status of Sony's upcoming games. While Wolverine is set to headline and take up a decent amount of its runtime, the rest of the hour-plus show is bound to include updates to existing titles, some surprising new revelations, and if the force is known, some surprises no one would expect.
Here's what we expect to see from this week's state of play, along with some predictions I'm somewhat confident will come true.
When is the state of play this week?
State of Play will take place on Tuesday, June 2 at 2pm PT/5pm ET/11pm BST. You can watch all the action unfold on PlayStation's official YouTube and Twitch channels, and we'll be reporting all the news and announcements as they happen here at TheGamer.
The show will also play in select theaters across the United States, which seems like a pretty solid indicator that some big reveals are coming. The kind of wonder that justifies a big screen experience rather than being witnessed from the comfort of an iPhone.
Insomniac's Wolverine is going to take the spotlight
As one of PlayStation's biggest — if only — exclusives is set to launch this year, many eyes are now on Insomniac's Wolverine. Set to arrive this September, we can expect an avalanche of gameplay that goes much deeper than the early reveal trailers ever did. While those provided a decent glimpse into the combat and story, we've yet to get a detailed look at how well these systems will actually work.
The verdict is still out on whether this goes deeper than a massive leak of an unfinished game.
I especially want to see how the moment-to-moment action and level design compares to the trilogy of Insomniac Spider-Man titles. All three are massive open world titles, all designed to give us a subtle web-slinging fantasy.
Miles and Peter don't kill in a crime-fighting game across Manhattan, while Logan isn't afraid to cut down any bad guys who dare look at him funny. I want to see how violent this battle can be and how a campaign spanning multiple globe-trotting locations will play out. It's going to be a very different animal.
Naughty Dog finally gives Intergalactic: Heretic Prophet a release window
We haven't heard a peep since Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet was revealed at the Game Awards in 2024. Director Neil Druckmann has talked about it occasionally, while the cast also seems incredibly excited about the project, but as far as how it's coming out or how it's going to play out, we know absolutely nothing.
I want to know more about what this game is about in terms of story beyond following a single character exploring a deadly alien planet and how it compares to the classics created by Naughty Dog in recent years. Well, a little recently. Naughty Dog is a classic example of modern triple-A studios that are remarkably slow in their pursuit of perfection.
It's going to have extremely high expectations, and I wouldn't be surprised if players are hoping it sets another benchmark for cinematic storytelling in video games. Give us some gameplay, give us some story details, and last but not least, tell us when it's coming. I take a year and nothing else at this point.
An update on Sony Santa Monica and God of War
It's been almost four years since God of War: Ragnarök was released, which means the folks at Sony Santa Monica have been working on something since then. More specifically, what exactly is director Cory Barlog doing?
Many are speculating that Kratos, Atreus, and company are stepping into an all-new mythology now that everything in the Norse pantheon is safely tucked away.
A spin-off game starring Faye as the protagonist is also rumored, so will we see that too?
Others believe Barlog has been hard at work on a new IP that will finally break cover at this week's show. As exciting as it would be to see Kratos return and defeat a Sphinx or two, I'd prefer something completely new over another entry in a tried-and-tested franchise.
Speaking of studios that we haven't heard a glimpse of in years, what on earth has happened to Media Molecule? Despite being incredibly ambitious and a deeply influential creative tool in its own right, Dreams didn't set the world on fire when it launched in 2019.
Anyone expecting the same level of experience as LittleBigPlanet was disappointed, while its creative tools had a steep learning curve that required patience and skill to truly master. It limited its audience from the jump, so it makes perfect sense to hear about recent reports claiming that Media Molecule is now working on something more traditional.
I'd love to see something along the lines of Tearaway, a platformer where players are still encouraged to unleash their creativity through engaging mechanics, but the gameplay doesn't rely entirely on it to draw people in. By discarding everything it does well, so people walk away from the dream.
The Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy reveals its third entry
Square Enix has already confirmed that the final entry in the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy will not be a PlayStation exclusive, but considering its history with the platform holder, I wouldn't be surprised if the game breaks cover on State of Play.
Perhaps we'll witness a reveal trailer that reveals the long-awaited title and overall ambitions before Summer Game Fest offers a glimpse of gameplay, characters and an expanded open world. I have a lot of questions about this final chapter as I revisit Rebirth on Switch 2 and Xbox, and with any luck, this will answer some of them.
Resident Evil Code Veronica finally gets a remake announcement
Capcom has a habit of announcing Resident Evil titles during the summer with plans to release them early next year. We've seen this with the remakes of 7, Village, 2, 3, and 4, and most recently with this year's Requiem. It has a consistent development schedule and sticks to it.
Because of this I think the rumored Code Veronica remake is going to be revealed in this week's State of Play with tons of cutscenes, gameplay, and a 2027 release date to boot. This game is unique – perhaps more so than any other Resi title before it – so I'm curious to see how Capcom reimagines the characters and story elements for the modern universe. Will it be more serious, or stay in the familiar porn camp for Veronica? Only time will tell…
A live service that no one is playing will be shown
I'm expecting Fairgames – the third-person multiplayer title first revealed during the PlayStation Showcase in 2023 – to make an appearance, and possibly match the recent copyright filing as a 'break in'.
As Sony tries to pursue the live service Dragon before it even comes out, no one plays it, and many devs get left out. I'm willing to be proven wrong, but haven't been yet.
PS VR 2 will continue to hang on for dear life
Sony sent this peripheral to die, but despite that, we still see at least one PS VR 2 title appear at the big State of Play presentations, and I expect things to be no different this time around. Throw in some new classics for PlayStation Plus for good measure.
What are you hoping to see from this week's State of the Game? Let us know your predictions in the comments below!
- brand
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Sony
- Original release date
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November 12, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
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Disc version: $499.99; Digital Edition: $399.99
