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Players will soon be able to sink their claws into Marvel’s Wolverine when it comes to PS5 on September 15. Ahead of its release, we had the chance to meet with part of the creative team behind the claws – Marcus Smith (creative director), Mike Daly (game director), Grant Hollis (senior art director), Brian Wyser (senior animation director), and Walt Williams (narrative director) — to learn more about crafting Wolverine’s final design, choosing which allies, foes and locations to feature, and how they knew they captured Logan’s essence. PlayStation: Insomniac has built this incredible reputation for comic book adaptations. Your version of Spider-Man, both Miles and Peter, has become iconic in its own way. What was it like to start that process over again for another character? Marcus Smith: Exciting, honestly. Very exciting. When you have to craft a player experience, it means going back to the drawing board and redefining what the character is, how we can be true to that character. And what we recognized very early on was Peter Parker and Miles Morales are very different than Logan. Every decision that we made after deciding what was key to Logan took us down a different road that deviated from Spider-Man. So, while Spider-Man is an open-world game, he’s so tied to New York, with Wolverine everything is closer, more visceral, more contact with the world, more grounded. What would you say is essential for designing Wolverine? What did you have to get right? Grant Hollis: The claws, and therefore the combat. He’s a reluctant hero that will get the job done by any means necessary. And so, for us, both in the visuals and in the animation, it was figuring out what does it mean to be Wolverine. From a visual standpoint, we were like, “Okay, Logan is a tank. He’s a little messier, he’s a little clumsier, he’ll break more stuff.” So that was all what we did on the art: blood, destruction, damage. Damage to you, damage to the enemies. Getting all of that was really important. Walt Williams: One of the great things about working on the story is that we had a fantastic actor, Liam McIntyre, who was our Logan. Crafting our version of Logan through him in lockstep and collaboration was such a key part to this. He has such an amazing range to be able to express the ferocity and the animalistic rage of Logan, but also, he can be such a gentle, kind soul. Which is really, I think, the most interesting thing about this character. There’s such a duality to him. The rage and the anger come from this deep well of emotional feeling. I thought it was interesting in the [hands on preview], the moments where his rage lets loose seem to be driven by his humanity, where he’s really grounded in his feelings. Smith: Absolutely. I think it was really important that this is a guy who has been dedicating his life being on Team X to protect mutants, and then seeing that mutants are being treated like science experiments and tossed away. That’s going to have an effect. That’s where he’s going to go crazy, seeing those that he would try to protect, the vulnerable, being completely dominated and thrown out. Mike Daly: And in a way, that’s a really good illustration of what makes video games so powerful. Because it’s not just a matter of seeing it in a cinematic or seeing it on the screen, but you feel it for yourself. You get pulled into that conflict, and you get to experience that very difficult to control rage for yourself. Going into his character design building out the [Battle Reborn] suit, did you know that this was the version you were always working towards? Or did you have multiple iterations? Hollis: With the suit, we knew early on that we wanted two colors. We were fans of the brown and yellow from the 1980s, as well as the yellow and blue with a little hint of red. We knew we wanted [it] to be something inspired from what had come in the past, but put our own spin on it. Because of the more grounded story we were shooting for, and the more lived-in universe, we knew we wanted [it] to have this tactical edge. We wanted it to feel like a suit that somebody could fabricate realistically, that would be based on what maybe a military outfit would be, or some body armor from a motorcycle rider. We took a lot of inspiration from real-world items. As for the color, pretty much we knew the yellow because it was in those two suits early on. It was just a matter of, what do we want to go with that yellow? We ended up going with a little more black than brown. When building the story, how did you decide which of Wolverine’s allies and villains to pull from? Smith: Well, Logan is kind of an introvert. He would be much happier sitting in his cabin, whittling away quietly. So, what was important to us is to put him in a team filled with conflict. Having an emotional, moral compass, a skewed personality conflict, it’s high drama. That’s exciting, we do want to see Logan and Sabretooth really going at it and calling each other names and all of that. Likewise, Mystique has a totally different outlook on life throughout the game that I hope will be surprising to players, fans especially. Then you have Jean Grey, who really taps into this mutual obligation to protect the most vulnerable. Their obligations run parallel, but their approaches and considerations might differ. So that’s really what it comes down to: how do these characters work with and against one another in good ways? Daly: Yeah, and as far as the other enemies you’ll fight, we knew we needed a force that could believably contend with Logan himself, who obviously is a very dangerous character to deal with. So, the Reavers were a good fit as extremely hyper-lethal cyborg mercenaries who had the equipment, the armor, the endurance, and the manpower to basically face off against Wolverine in a competent way. As well as the Hand, who have expert training in ancient tactics, but also really deadly weapons. They were both good fits that also had a natural place in the story, and we could put them in places where they have an objective that aligns with the story of the mission and pits you against them in a way that makes you feel like you’re making progress towards the story. Wolverine and Mystique, him and Sabretooth, what was that process of building out their distinct relationship with one another? Williams: One of the great things about a great Logan story is the sense of mystery, the sense of revelation. We knew that if we simply adapted relationships or arcs or stories that people had seen before, we would be robbing them of that because they would come in already knowing what to expect. Finding new angles on relationships with the characters like Sabretooth, beginning to explore more of their past in Team X, being able to see how these two might have a tumultuous but brother-in-arms type relationship…where is that line? How does it constantly shift from supporting each other to antagonism? Sabretooth is kind of literally the big brother. This is a man who’s about nine feet tall, and so yes, him and Logan have that shared animalistic nature. But at the same time, Sabretooth feels abandoned by Logan. And with Mystique, this is a woman whose powers allowed her to hide in plain sight for so long until she found Team X and was empowered to be the best her that she could be. And now she travels the world. She doesn’t have to fear for safety. She doesn’t have to fear for her identity. She is getting to live the life of a worldwide soldier, assassin, freedom fighter for mutants, and she’s just loving every minute of it. While Sabretooth and Logan are constantly bickering, she’s getting the job done. Not because she’s the responsible one, but because she actually likes it. She’s having a great time. She’s like, I get to travel the world. I get to meet and kill interesting people. Let’s go! So finding these nuanced, found-family kind of relationships and exploring angles on them that we haven’t really seen before, we knew it was going to be rewarding for players to experience. How would you say Wolverine’s animation sets him apart from the other characters? Brian Wyser: Sabretooth is definitely much more of a wrecking ball. He throws caution to the wind and acts first, thinks second. You can see that in his combat as he’s an ally fighting alongside of you. With Wolverine, it’s a journey. We plant a stake in the ground early on in a project on the animation team, where we will do pre-vis examples of what the design team wants. We try and visualize that action in a sequence. I think one of the earliest things we put together was Wolverine fighting in the snow. As we explore, we use those as kind of our tentpole to say, well, some of that’s great, but not this other trait. It becomes a stake in the ground. With the development of [Wolverine’s] fighting style, we knew from the start that this is a man that is trained in every martial art. We want him to be much more of a brawler and capable of just laying waste to many at once. That became something that was really a trait we focused on for his combat. And the last thing I’ll say, as an animation pillar or goal, we really wanted to bring out the animal in Wolverine. We really wanted to take [his] quadrupedal stride as he’s beginning to run and apply that to traversal as he moves around in the world. How do you want players to feel when they finish the game? Williams: I want players to walk away with empathy for what this man has gone through. This is a man who has suffered so much and lost so much, while at the same time brought so much to the people around him. [He] has sacrificed, in many cases, everything in order to make sure that the people he cares about get to see another day. If players walk away with that type of empathy for Logan, not just loving the visceral action of getting to be Wolverine, but feeling sympathy for the man Logan is, then we truly have created and given them the ultimate Wolverine experience. Experience the combat, rage, and humanity of Marvel’s Wolverine when it comes to PlayStation 5 on September 15. View the full article

The latest installment in the flight-shooting series, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve releases on October 2, 2026. Today, we are excited to share with PlayStation players the first look at our Wings of Theve story trailer, giving a glimpse into the tranquil daily lives of the crew aboard The Endurance and their time together amidst an ongoing war. From fierce battles against formidable enemy Sotoan ace squadrons to colossal superweapons that pose a threat to the Federation of Central Usea, players will face new threats and learn what secrets lie ahead in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. Play Video Let’s deep dive into the story and be sure to stick around to the end for an exclusive reveal on a fan-favorite mode that is confirmed in the franchise’s next release! Dogfights are notorious within the Ace Combat series as you engage in exhilarating dogfight against daunting rival aces. Today’s trailer showcased a head-to-head battle between the Leader of the Elite Sotoan Air Force Shadows Unit “Shadow 22” and the Joker Flight led by the “Wings of Theve”. In addition to threats in the skies, you will also be forced to face off against numerous superweapons that dominate the ground or overwhelm the distant skies. It is up to you to lead your squad to victory and save the Federation of Central Usea (FCU). This is what you’ll find in the heart of our next mission reveal! A fan-favorite mission in Ace Combat In this mission, you are tasked with a counterattack against Sotoan forces where you must destroy every enemy and targets in sight. Not only will you have the chance to experience the full thrill of flight shooting, but fans will also be able to experience a franchise favorite mode, Annihilation Battle. The freedom of Annihilation Missions In this Annihilation Battle, you’ll face key enemy facilities―including a solar power plant, an oil tank, an air base, and an ammo dump ―all while making good use of supply lines where you can replenish your own weapons during the mission. The gameplay offers a high degree of freedom within the time limit, allowing players to devise their own strategies―such as deciding which enemies to take down and in what order, as well as when to return to the “return line” to reload their weapons. “I believe this mission category best embodies the core pillar of the Ace Combat series: the player’s ability to eliminate enemies based on their own judgment.” Manabu Shimomoto, the game’s producer, shares his thoughts on why Mission 7 will be appealing to Ace Combat 8 players. New ways to enjoy Annihilation Battles in Ace Combat 8 Just like the large transport aircraft Podarge we introduced in previous trailers, you can enjoy chain destruction in the Annihilation battles for this newest installment in the series. Shimomoto-san notes, “For example, if you hit a flammable object―such as an oil tank at an enemy base―and cause an explosion, you can also cause a chain reaction that destroys surrounding buildings.” In addition, structures located near where downed enemy aircraft crash may also be destroyed. The production team had this consideration when developing the mission as it adds depth to the strategy regarding the order and timing of players’ attacks. Formidable foes threatening the Federation of Central Usea Forces Outside of the Annihilation Mission, you’ll face numerous enemies or have to evade their threats. Here are just a few that you can look forward to battling: Megafloat Fatsia The Megafloat Fatsia, situated off of the west coast of the Republic of Sotoa, is a marine megafacility in the form of an artificial island. It serves as an arms factory for the Sotoan military as well as a supply station for landing invasions. It was constructed as part of a national project to develop coastal waters and provide future housing to compensate for land lost to desertification. The Megafloat extends a full six kilometers and has multiple layers, with a 2,000-meter runway on its top deck that allows for even large transport aircraft to land and take off. The central block contains a power plant that uses Sotoan cold fusion technology. Deuterium is harvested from seawater as fuel to provide the various parts of the structure with electricity, from arms factories to synthetic fuel plants. Surplus power is used to create fresh water via desalination and deliver it to the mainland via pipeline. For defenses, each area is equipped with automated systems linked to multifunction radar. Weaponry include CIWS, SAM batteries, and railguns linked in cooperative engagement capability (CEC) to defensive aircraft, allowing the Megafloat to attack targets over the horizon. UAVs fly around the structure, acting as sensor nodes that expand its defensive range to a 400 km radius. Attack satellite Tonitrus Spear “Tonitrus Spear” refers to a Sotoan satellite weapon, a kinetic weapon based on a project conceived of by the Yuktobania during the Cold War as a strategic alternative to nuclear strikes. From a platform stationed at a low-orbit altitude of 500 km, the Tonitrus Spear employs mass and gravitational acceleration to launch dense metal rods using pure kinetic energy, destroying targets in a wide radius without the drawbacks of radioactive fallout. Aces will need to use their wit to slip through its attacks and dodge this weapon! In addition to these formidable foes we’ve shared here, you’ll be able to find more unidentified enemies when you play the campaign mode. Be sure to see for yourself what these other threats are all about and get ready to take to the skies when Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches on PS5 on October 2, 2026. Pre-order the Deluxe Edition for early access and additional pre-order bonus items. View the full article

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here Hey, everybody! We’re back this week to discuss some of the big announcements from the recent State of Play and State of Play Japan, the new releases we’ve been playing, and look ahead to major releases dropping this month. Also in this episode, Kristen interviews actor Liam McIntyre, the voice of Logan in Marvel’s Wolverine. Stuff We Talked About Next week’s release highlights: Marvel’s Wolverine | PS5 RuneScape: Dragonwilds | PS5 Aniimo | PS5 Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter | PS5 Flamecraft | PS5 Trine 6: Together in Time | PS5 NASCAR 26 | PS5 Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 & Warzone The Haunting — Part of Season 6, The Haunting arrives on September 17 with Hordepoint, Haunted Hollow, and the Doom Slayers. Get ready for new maps, limited-time modes, and updates to Warzone and Zombies. Dead or Alive 6 Last Round’s new character — Meet Minato, the dance enthusiast who is all about flashy moves. Having dominated the world of dancing, she looks to topple the world of fighters as well. Learn everything you need to know about her before you test out her skills, now available. No Man’s Sky 10th anniversary Cosmos update — The Cosmos update is now live on PS5. Experience the biggest overhaul since launch, bringing picturesque asteroid belts of rock and ice formations, free-floating modular bases you can build anywhere in space, and much more. Muramasa: Revenant Blades gameplay details — Get a deep dive into the new trailer and upgraded visuals for Muramasa: Revenant Blades, launching February 4. Along with a walkthrough of the game’s systems, swords, and abilities. PlayStation Plus Monthly Games September Extra and Premium RuneScape: Dragonwilds | PS5 WWE 2K26 | PS5 Ball x Pit | PS5 Date Everything | PS5 Slitterhead | PS5, PS4 Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound | PS5, PS4 Dungeons of Hinterberg | PS5, PS4 Sniper Elite: Resistance | PS5, PS4 Premium Mega Man X Command Mission | PS5, PS4 Metro Redux | PS4 The Cast View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Tim Turi – Content Communications Manager, SIE 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.] View the full article

Last week, we asked you to share moments highlighting water from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: honeysinghzzz shares the reflection of water in Forza Horizon 5 JAA_PhMode_0510 shares Snake wading through waters in Metal Gear Solid Delta Snakeater fwto_ shares Jin paused along a river in Ghost of Tsushima DarrellNeloms shares Aloy wading through deep waters in Horizon Forbidden West ps5_gamerspov shares a beach island view from Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced rorottino shares Sam walking through a creek in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach 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? View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image THEME: Seasons SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on September 16, 2026 Next week, share a moment embodying one of the seasons from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

Hi everyone. I’m Sergey, Lead Gameplay Designer on Control Resonant. We’re getting very close to our September 24 launch, and the team here in Espoo (and Stockholm) is incredibly excited to finally share what we’ve been building. With Control Resonant, we’re introducing a new combat system built around Dylan’s shapeshifting melee weapon, the Aberrant. Combat is close-range and demanding, with enemies that require you to read their attacks, manage staggers and status effects, and time your dodges. We knew that this new system would come with a new learning curve. So rather than relying on a handful of traditional difficulty levels, we wanted to give players much more control over individual parts of the experience. Customize your experience Control Resonant’s Assist Mode is a suite of customizable options designed to let you adjust the mechanics that might be getting in your way – without necessarily changing everything else. For example, if enemies are overwhelming you by attacking from multiple directions, you can reduce Enemy Aggression. If you’re having trouble reading the timing of an attack, you can widen the Perfect Dodge Window or reduce Enemy Projectile Speed. We spend a lot of time discussing the exact frame count of a standard dodge window – usually over far too much coffee – but the reality is that players have very different reaction times and ways of playing. The same approach applies to damage and combat resources. You can independently adjust Incoming Damage, Outgoing Damage, and Outgoing Falter, which controls how quickly you break an enemy’s posture. If managing Dylan’s supernatural abilities during a chaotic fight is becoming too much, you can increase Power Recovery Speed. You can also adjust Enhanced Melee Magnetizing to make positioning during melee attacks more forgiving. And if you want to focus on exploring Manhattan and experiencing the story without the stress of combat, Assist Mode includes options such as Immortality, One-Hit Kills, and the new One-Hit Falters. The idea is simple: instead of asking you to choose an overall difficulty, we let you change the specific parts of combat that aren’t working for you. Try the game first One thing we deliberately avoided was putting these settings in front of you before you even start your first playthrough. Every player is different, and you haven’t played Control Resonant yet. Asking you to make decisions about mechanics you haven’t experienced doesn’t make much sense to us. That’s why you can enable or disable Assist Mode at any point during gameplay. We want you to experience the intended combat rhythm first, get a feel for the game, and then adjust individual settings whenever you feel the need. You can also choose from a set of Assist Mode Presets created around different ways of playing and then fine-tune individual settings from there. Make it harder, too There’s another important change from the first Control: Assist Mode can now make the game harder. In the original game, the sliders could only reduce the challenge. In Control Resonant, they work in both directions. If you find the base game too forgiving, you can increase enemy aggression, make the Perfect Dodge Window smaller, and increase Incoming Damage to create a much more demanding experience. We know players enjoy different kinds of challenges, so we wanted Assist Mode to give you that flexibility, too. Play your way We talk a lot internally about designer intent. We have a carefully crafted experience in mind for Control Resonant, balanced to be tense, demanding, and rewarding. But our philosophy is straightforward: if you run into a wall and the friction becomes too much, we’d much rather you adjust the rules and keep playing than put the controller down and stop. Your time is valuable, and how you experience the game is ultimately up to you. That’s why we don’t gate any trophies or achievements behind Assist Mode. Use the settings however you need to and play Control Resonant on your terms. We can’t wait for you to get your hands on the Aberrant when Control Resonant launches on PS5 this September 24. See you in Manhattan. View the full article