What to expect from PlayStation Showcase on May 24

Sony just dropped some big news for PlayStation fans – they will be hosting their next PlayStation Showcase on May 24, 2023! The showcase promises to give an update on first-party games currently in development for the PlayStation 5, alongside several announcements of new games coming to PS5 and possibly some PSVR2 info.

This was announced via the official PlayStation Twitter, simply stating “Mark your calendars…The next PlayStation Showcase airs live May 24. Tune in for updates from PlayStation Studios and 3rd party partners.” alongside an event logo featuring the iconic PlayStation symbols. No additional details were provided at this time, but Sony promises that more details about the showcase and what will be featured are still to come over the next few months leading up to the event.

Fans were pretty hyped up about the announcement, with over 24k retweets and 67k likes on the PlayStation Twitter post in just a few hours. Many are hoping for big updates on highly anticipated games like Spider-Man 2, Wolverine, The last of us factions and more. The showcase could also feature some entirely new announcements from Sony’s world-class first party studios like Naughty Dog, Insomniac Games, and Santa Monica.

Nothing is confirmed at this point regarding which games will actually show up at the showcase, but based on Sony’s track record for these events, we can expect appearances from several of their key franchises currently in development. The last PlayStation Showcase took place in September 2021 and featured several big announcements like God of War Ragnarok, the PSVR2, and Forspoken. Sony has been quiet on the games front since then, so this upcoming May event is sure to be bursting at the seams with new titles, footage and release dates.

As excited as I am for this event, I would temper your expectations a bit. Don’t expect literally every game you’re hoping for to show up – Sony will likely only focus on a select few of their biggest upcoming releases at this event. But the ones they do spotlight are sure to look absolutely stunning, as only Sony’s first-party studios are capable of creating. But we’ll have to wait and see what Sony decides to shine the spotlight on come May 24th.

Another thing many fans are wondering is what, if any, hardware Sony will announce at the showcase. Could Sony have some surprise next-gen PS5 Pro model in the works to show off and launch later this year? This is all pure speculation at this point, but a PlayStation hardware announcement would certainly ramp up the hype and excitement around this event even more.

The Last of Us Factions

Naughty Dog confirmed that a standalone multiplayer game set in The Last of Us universe is in the works, titled Factions. The announcement came via a brief teaser trailer showing the new game’s logo set against a desolate landscape with no actual gameplay footage. But fans of the original The Last of Us’ online multiplayer mode, also known as Factions, are already incredibly hyped for this new entry in the series.

While details are still slim at this point, we do know Factions is planned as a standalone game focused just on the multiplayer experience. Rather than being bundled with a larger single-player campaign like the original. Naughty Dog also confirmed Factions is a “a full-fledged experience” in its own right, implying a much more robust and fleshed-out online mode compared to the original game. The phrase “an evolving multiplayer experience” was also used to hint that Factions may implement new modes and content updates after launch rather than being a complete experience right from day one.

Based on everything we know so far, it sounds like Naughty Dog wants to take their original Factions mode – featuring 4v4 team-based matches focused on survival, stealth and scavenging – and amplify it to the next level. Details are minimal at this point, but I expect Factions to expand on the core gameplay loop of searching for supplies, crafting items and team-based combat while infected by the cordyceps fungus try to take you out. The new mode would likely include more maps, character customization options, higher player counts per match and additional game variants to keep things feeling fresh. We might just see more about this game on PlayStation Showcase on May 24.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

When Marvel’s Spider-Man released in 2018, it swung onto the scene as an instant classic, showcasing a stunning rendition of New York City and telling a great Spidey story. The game became a commercial and critical success, leaving fans wanting more of Insomniac’s version of the web-slinger. And now, fans won’t have to wait much longer for the next installment – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is scheduled for release in 2023!

Though few details have been revealed about Spider-Man 2 so far, we do know a couple of key things that have fans hyped. First, the main villain will be Venom – one of Spider-Man’s all-time greatest enemies. Venom’s ability to match and even overpower Spider-Man in terms of strength promises some epic boss battles.

Another major highlight is that Spider-Man 2 will be the first game to feature Miles Morales as a fully playable second Spider-Man alongside Peter Parker. And based on the amazing reception to Miles’ story and gameplay in the recent Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales spin-off game, Insomniac clearly has a knack for crafting an excellent version of the younger, less experienced web-slinger. Being able to switch between both Spider-Men on the fly promises some extremely fun co-op gameplay as Miles and Peter inevitably team up to take down threats too large for one Spider alone. 

While no official gameplay has been shown yet, we can likely expect something similar to the first game – breathtaking open-world traversal, acrobatic combat, and a beautifully designed version of New York City. But with the addition of Miles as a playable character and increased focus on enemies with supernatural abilities like Venom, Spider-Man 2 no doubt offers the chance for Insomniac to evolve the gameplay and mechanics in exciting new ways. We might just see more about this game on PlayStation Showcase on May 24.

Wolverine

One of the biggest surprises to come out of the recent PlayStation Showcase was the announcement of a brand new Marvel game from Insomniac Games – Marvel’s Wolverine. A brief teaser trailer focused on Wolverine’s signature adamantium claws slicing through various objects was all that was revealed, but it was enough to get Marvel and PlayStation fans alike excited about Insomniac taking on the feral mutant for their next superhero project. We might just see more about this game on PlayStation Showcase on May 24.

While basically no details have been released about Marvel’s Wolverine so far, the mere fact that Insomniac is developing the game has fans hopeful it will reach the same stratospheric heights as their acclaimed previous Marvel titles – Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Insomniac’s expertise in crafting third-person action adventures, their mastery of open world design in New York City, and their obvious passion for honoring the source material gives Marvel’s Wolverine a strong foundation before we even know what the game is actually about.

As a long-time Wolverine fan myself, I’m eager to see Insomniac’s take on the character. Their version of Peter Parker/Spider-Man felt perfectly balanced between the fun-loving wise-cracker and emotional core we love. So I have high hopes they can walk the fine but compelling line between the rage-filled animal and wounded soul that defines Wolverine at his best. If anyone can make us feel the the anger, danger and moral complexities of a character like Logan, it’s Insomniac.

In terms of story and gameplay, there are endless possibilities for a Wolverine game. The teaser focused on his claws suggests the emphasis will likely be on up-close melee combat featuring fast, acrobatic movements and brutal finishers. Adding in Wolverine’s advanced senses and healing factor could make for some incredibly cinematic and dynamic combat sequences. And with decades of X-Men comics to pull from, Insomniac has a wealth of compelling stories and characters to include – from Professor X and the X-Men themselves, to Magneto, Sabretooth and countless others.

Santa Monica Studio new Game

Santa Monica Studio has had an exciting couple of years. After successfully rebooting God of War in 2018 to critical and commercial success, the studio is hard at work on the highly anticipated sequel, God of War: Ragnarok. But with Ragnarok wrapping up the Norse saga of Kratos and Atreus, what does the future hold for Santa Monica Studio after that? The studio hasn’t officially announced any new projects yet, but based on recent hints it seems they have ambitious plans for the future.

Santa Monica Studio is at an interesting turning point. They are be free of the God of War franchise for the first time in over a decade and able to pursue something completely new. The big question is, what will that be? The studio is best known for crafting cinematic action-adventure games, so they may stick in a similar vein. But they’ve also made a variety of other games in the past, from sci-fi shooters to fantasy platformers. Their next project after Ragnarok could go in any number of directions.

Some rumors suggest that after God of War, Santa Monica Studio will create an all-new historical action-adventure IP. Other whispers indicate they could be building a multiplayer experience, which would be new ground for the traditionally single-player focused studio. Job listings from last year pointed to the studio looking for online programmers with experience building “live service multiplayer experiences.” That’s led to speculation their new IP after Ragnarok will incorporate online and multiplayer elements. However, as with all unofficial rumors, nothing is certain until the studio announces something themselves.

So in summary, while Sony has remained fairly tight-lipped on specific details regarding what we’ll see at the PlayStation Showcase on May 24th, based on their history of hosting these kinds of events, we can reasonably expect major updates and possibly new announcements from Sony’s biggest lineups of exclusive games currently in development. Mark your calendars for late May and get ready for at least a few jaw-dropping reveals from some of the most talented game developers in the business.

The PlayStation brand still has so much untapped potential with its world-class studios, and I’m really hoping this showcase on may 24 gives us a glimpse at what’s still to come in Sony’s high-quality single-player, story-focused games that no other platform really offers. What are you most hoping to see announced at the PlayStation Showcase?

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