We’re super excited to announce the newest update for Stranded Deep going live tomorrow – which includes co-op online.

Play Video

While players have enjoyed playing solo, the community has been asking for a Co-op Multiplayer mode since the game’s launch. It’s something we have wanted to deliver for the community and have been working hard with our partners for over a year.  We’re very happy to announce the arrival of this feature which is available tomorrow, September 28! This is a free update for existing players and part of the game for new players getting stranded for the first time.

You’ll experience crazy encounters against sharks, giant squid, and other sea creatures. Defend against attacks on land from wild boar, snakes, and other native threats. Hunger, thirst, and exposure will work against you as you brave the elements. It won’t (and shouldn’t) be easy… but if you survive through it all, you can escape – now with a friend!

This has been a crazy journey for us here at Beam Team – just a small team from Brisbane, Australia creating our first game. Our community has already grown beyond anything we ever expected, and to know we have so many players that enjoy what we’ve created is what it’s all about for us. Getting the opportunity to self-publish on PlayStation has been a dream for us which still doesn’t seem real.

A huge thank you for your support; we really hope you enjoy the new co-op multiplayer update as much as we enjoyed working on it. 

Stay Alive!

Sam

Since the launch of Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017, Aloy has lived in the hearts of our players, and her story of survival, self-discovery, and sacrifice resonated with many. That story is set to continue in the upcoming sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, which takes place six months after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn. Aloy has travelled west to investigate a mysterious and deadly blight. In these uncharted lands, she will meet strange new tribes and encounter ever more deadly machines. Together with old friends and new companions, she must brave this new frontier to find the answers she needs to save life on Earth. 

Spoiler Alert: Please note this article contains some spoilers for Horizon Zero Dawn and its storyline.

Aloy’s story, woven from love and loss, makes for a very compelling adventure. People from all over the world have shared with us the impact Horizon Zero Dawn has had on them, and they want more. After revealing Horizon Forbidden West’s gameplay trailer late May, fans were ecstatic to see Aloy again, fighting against machines and raiders, and even reuniting with her old friend Erend.

From outcast to heroic Machine hunter

Guerrilla’s Narrative Director Ben McCaw understands these reactions well. “In Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy goes from being the least important person in the world – a humble outcast – to the most important. Not only does she become the greatest machine hunter in the land, she discovers that she is the key to understanding Earth’s past and saving its future. Along the way, she gathers key allies to her side, like Varl, a kind Nora hunter who lost his sister in the Proving; Erend, a strong but sensitive Oseram Vanguard; and the Carja Sun-King Avad, an enlightened ruler trying to rescue his people from their bloody past.

‘But Horizon Zero Dawn ends with Aloy’s job only half-finished,” Ben continues. “One threat has been vanquished, but another looms in the form of a strange red blight that’s strangling the land. So in the six months between games, she has been on a mission to discover how to stop this insidious infection. Fans can get a glimpse of her journey in the five-issue Sunhawk collection from Titan Comics. This mission has been tough. She’s had to travel fast and leave a lot of her gear behind. Even so, she has pursued the mission with the same determination, strength, and drive that she showed in the first game. In that sense, she hasn’t changed a bit.”

A hero, a hunter, an explorer… Aloy carries a lot on her shoulders as she continues to face challenges and dangers in these lands. From a narrative perspective, it was important to convey Aloy’s strength and emotional intelligence, and to provide her with lessons and experiences throughout the game to develop further as a real and relatable protagonist.

“Born and raised as an outcast, Aloy has a unique perspective on the world,” explains Ben. “She is deeply compassionate towards those who suffer, and highly driven to punish powerful oppressors. Although she has made many friends during her adventures, she still feels like an outsider, and the truth is, she has no real home. These aspects of her character will be explored in depth as she ventures into the mysterious frontier of the Forbidden West.

‘This goes for the story as well. It starts with the same Alo

Hi, everyone! It’s been over a year since we released The Last of Us Part II, a major chapter in the growing The Last of Us universe. It’s that same world that we’ve been privileged to celebrate with the incredibly passionate and ever-growing fanbase for eight years! When we planned this year’s event, we aimed to make this day super engaging so we can celebrate the diverse and talented The Last of Us community on a global scale.

We’re very fortunate to have a great relationship with our community and The Last of Us Day is one of our favorite days to share and engage in back-and-forth dialogue with our fans. Whether you use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, use the hashtag #TLOUDay to spread the cheer and good vibes. Share your art, cosplay, creations, Photo Mode shots, or even special memories of your experiences with The Last of Us universe. We’re looking forward to having you all join in on celebrating The Last of Us Day – we’ll be active on social all day! 

To cap off the day, please check back at NaughtyDog.com at 8 PM EST / 5 PM PST for a The Last of Us Day wrap up note to you — the amazing fans.

Let’s chat about what we got cooking!

The Last of Us Part II: Covers and Rarities Now Streaming and Limited Edition Vinyl by Mondo 

Attention audiophiles and collectors: time to warm up your record players! Working in close collaboration with our friends at Mondo, we’re excited to finally announce pre-orders for The Last of Us Part II: Covers and Rarities vinyl.

This limited edition vinyl features stunning, exclusive artwork by Dani Pendergast, and a special message by The Last of Us Part II’s Director, Neil Druckmann.

This special release has been a huge fan request, and we’re excited to present this EP featuring tracks sung by Ashley Johnson (Ellie) and Troy Baker (Joel) and guitar by Chris Rondinella.

Pre-orders open today, September 26, at 10AM PST exclusively on Mondo’s website.

For those of you that might want to take Joel’s rendition of “Wayfaring Stranger” and Ellie’s serenade of “Take On Me” with you wherever you go, we’ll also be releasing Covers and Rarities online – and it will be available globally on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Tidal, and all major global streaming outlets today at 9 PM PST.

The Last of Us Part II Joel Statue by Dark Horse

In partnership with Dark Horse Direct, we’re proud to present a new, limited edition 14.25” Joel statue from The Last of Us Part II. This limited-edition statue is crafted in stunning detail, and he comes fully equipped, wielding his gun and guitar. This statue is available for pre-order until October 29 at 5PM PST via Dark Horse’s website and will ship May – July 2022.

PlayStation Gear Store  – We Got That Exclusive Merch!

The goods! We have some stunning brand-new merch going up on the PlayStation Gear Store. 

New offerings include a waxed canvas backpack for here, there and everywhere, and an awesome Stormtech Waterfall Insulated Rain Jacket with a laser engraved patch that’s perfect for the changing seasons.

We’re also excited to announce exclusive merchandise to live out your best troubadour experiences – such as new Taylor straps and picks. By popular fan demand, we’re also pleased to offer The Last of Us Part II GS Mini and 314ce guitars, which is exclusively available on the

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here

On this week’s PlayStation Podcast, Hideaki Nishino, SVP of Platform Experience, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at developing the September system software updates.

Stuff We Talked About

• Gran Turismo 7
• Last Judgment
• Death Stranding Director’s Cut
• Psychonauts 2
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Toem
• Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

The Cast

Tim Turi –  Manager, Content Communications, SIE

Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE

Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE

Last week, we asked you to share how you travel through your favorite games using #PSshare #PSBlog. From boat and horseback to futuristic rovers, here are this week’s highlights: 

lunar9p shares a shot of the Mako on a dusty red planet in Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

gamography_ shares Jin atop his horse in Ghost of Tsushima.

geekrikk shares Noctis out for a drive with the boys in Final Fantasy XV.

SP_Al3xis01 shares Kratos and Atreus paddling a boat through Alfheim in God of War.

jpvp_1 shares Ellie and Dine bracing from the cold atop their horses in The Last of Us Part II.

krawzoscreen barrels their car down a road in Far Cry 5.

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? 

THEME: Kena: Bridge of Spirits
SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on September 29

Next week, we’re exploring the beautiful world of Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Share Kena’s journey helping troubled spirits find peace alongside adorable Rot companions using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

As detailed in both State of Play and Opening Night Live, Death Stranding Director’s Cut delivers a truckload of new enhancements and content to Kojima Productions’ genre-defying adventure. From helpful new delivery equipment to expanded areas to explore, there is a lot for new and returning players to dive into starting today on PS5.

Play Video

The enhancements and new content introduced to Director’s Cut can be experienced right from the beginning of the game. In addition to the adjustments made to guides and hints, new weapons and equipment, such as the “maser gun” and “support skeleton”, have also been introduced to help immerse players even further into the world of Death Stranding.

The team at Kojima Productions is excited to introduce these new elements to Director’s Cut, which they hope will be useful not only to those who are new to Death Stranding Director’s Cut, but also to those who will be transferring their save data from PS4.

Spoiler alert: This section does not touch on story spoiler elements, but it does describe the orders and maps up to Episode 3.

Early route planning in the game

Last Wednesday, PlayStation’s product development teams introduced new system software updates for PS5, PS4 and the PS Remote Play App. 

I sat down with Hideaki Nishino, SVP of Platform Experience, to get the scoop behind some of the new features, including 3D audio for built-in TV speakers and M.2 SSD storage expansion on PS5. We also discussed mobile app updates like Share Screen on PS App, which started rolling out yesterday on iOS and Android.*

Listen to our full interview on the Official PlayStation Podcast here for insights on how the features came together, or read on for some key excerpts, edited for brevity and clarity. 

PlayStation.Blog: Can you give us a little sense of what you do as SVP of Platform Experience?

Nishino-san: Here at SIE, I work for hardware, system software, and network platform products and services. I don’t contribute to the games or studio teams, but everything other than the games side of things. 

PlayStation.Blog: Congrats on the launch of the September system update on PS5. Are there a couple features you found particularly important?

Nishino-san: We launched many features with the September Update, but one I’m personally enjoying is the trophy tracker. Of course, I want to get more trophies and show them off. The trophy tracker allows me to easily pin the trophies I’m tracking down.

PlayStation.Blog: A lot of people have been asking, when are we going to get an update on 3D audio coming through the TV speakers (in addition to headsets).

Nishino-san: Yeah, absolutely. 3D audio has been a key part of our vision for PS5: delivering a really immersive experience not just through visuals but audio as well. When I turn on 3D audio for TV speakers, it sounds different. It’s difficult to describe, but I hope everybody will try it and experience it. 

It feels like the sound is coming from around my ears and from the front as well. So, it’s definitely giving you a different experience. I’m really proud of the team that delivered this 3D audio experience.

PlayStation.Blog: I think a big feature for many people is the ability to expand PS5 storage [through M.2 SSD]…What does adding a new feature of this magnitude represent for the team?

Nishino-san: As we have many PS4 users today, we saw various console usage patterns. We launched PS5 in two forms: one comes with the disc drive and one comes without. We really wanted to provide customer choice — that was the concept.

We knew any capacity we put into the machine as storage, one day you’ll hit the capacity. We wanted to provide options. It was important for us to enable upgrade capability for users. We designed the M.2 SSD feature back in 2018. At that time, we were not sure if Gen4 SSDs were coming up or not, but we believed they were. 

With [lead system architect Mark Cerny], we debated and discussed. We finally decided, ‘yeah, let’s do this.’ This will open the door for users to expand and improve the capability of the PS5. So, that’s the behind-the-scenes conversation we had internally, and I’m glad we can deliver this now for the holiday season.

In Adventure Mode, follow Tanjiro Kamado through the story from the “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” anime by diving in and taking control yourself!

This game includes the events of “Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc” where Tanjiro would begin his journey, join the Demon Slayer Corps and fight a variety of demons, as well as “the Movie: Mugen Train” where he was accompanied by the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku!

The fights against the demons from the anime are given new life with incredible graphics!

Intro trailer for Adventure Mode – Asakusa Arc

Play Video Read more

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars was officially announced today, and the demo is now available at PlayStation Store.

The full game will release digitally on PS4 on October 28, but what’s the deal with this unique card-based RPG from Square Enix? Here’s everything you need to know. 

Loads of talent behind the scenes

Fans of NieR and Drakengard rejoice! Creative talent from both of these beloved series have come together to create a brand-new tabletop-style RPG. The talent behind Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars includes Creative Director Yoko Taro (Drakengard series, NieR series), Executive Producer Yosuke Saito (NieR series) and Music Director Keiichi Okabe (Drakengard 3, NieR series), as well as Character Designer Kimihiko Fujisaka (Drakengard series).

Play Video

An exciting new story at the heart of the game 

In Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, the Game Master (voiced in English by Todd Haberkorn) will narrate and guide players through a story set in a world shrouded with mystery. Players will join our protagonist and his companions and set off on a journey to defeat a recently reawakened Dragon that threatens the land and its people. 

Throughout their journey, players will face many battles and make many choices, which can change the outcome of their quest.

More screens and character art

A club of interesting characters 

Our main protagonist is a bounty hunter who hopes to secure an immense reward for slaying the dragon. He’s joined on his travels by his companions: Mar, a monster very attached to him, and Melanie, a black witch with a grudge against the Dragon. 

Along the way, they will meet an array of unique characters including Wynifred of the Ivory Order and her silent soldier, Berwyn, and Heddwyn, her sage and mentor, as well as the Queen of Castle Advent, who rules over this vast land. 

Read more

With today’s release of Actraiser Renaissance on PlayStation Store, players around the world* can experience frantic-yet-methodical platforming action as well as the ability to build and simulate their own cities in this dual-genre adventure on PS4 and PS5. More than 30 years after its original release, this remaster of a retro classic comes with an HD graphical overhaul, a re-arranged soundtrack by composer Yuzo Koshiro, and additional content, including the new real-time strategy “Settlement Siege” mode, more stages, and a new boss to cut down to size.

Not sure what Actraiser Renaissance is, or why people are so excited to see this beloved classic make its return? Never fear, we’re here to tell you everything you need to know. 

What WAS Actraiser?

First released over 30 years ago, Actraiser was a platformer and city-builder sim where players took on the role of the Lord of Light, a benevolent god who has awakened from a long slumber, only to find the world beset with evil and chaos. With a trusty angel companion and the faith of his believers, the Lord of Light must lead the people of the world to salvation by destroying monstrous creatures, building safe havens, and ultimately defeating the ringleader of it all: The Evil One.

During the city building segments, players assumed the role of the Lord of Light’s trusted angel, and would guide a new civilization to prosperity and salvation by controlling the elements and performing miracles. Were monsters to attack, your angel could shoot them with arrows and signal to the Lord of Light where to send miracles, such as bolts of lightning and earthquakes to keep the hordes at bay.

Alongside these city-building segments were action-platforming sequences, where players took on the form of a human-like statue brought to life by the Lord of Light. In these tense side-scrolling sections, players would need to strike down the creatures and boss monsters that laid in wait while navigating perilous traps.

By mastering both disciplines, players would be able to vanquish The Evil One once and for all, bringing peace to the world of Actraiser.

What IS Actraiser Renaissance?

Simply put, Actraiser Renaissance is a bigger, bolder, and lovingly remastered version of the game that became a cult classic all those years ago. Actraiser Renaissance brings back many of the features that made the original so beloved, plus brand-new content and enhancements to make it easier to pick up and play.

Actraiser Renaissance comes with beautiful HD graphics, allowing the monsters you fight and the cities you grow to look even bigger and better than before. It also has a new auto-save feature, meaning that whether you’re holding off the forces of evil in city-building or trying to slay them in the action sequences, there’s plenty of opportunity to attempt new tricks and tactics without the fear of losing too much progress.

Become humanity’s salvation 

The city-building has been given even more love with brand-new features, such as an enhanced development phase that allows for more customisation of cities and your budding civilisations. These