Which Franchises Stand Out in Sony’s PS5 Showcase After State of Play 2026?
Sony’s latest State of Play made it clear which franchises are shaping the PS5 era, combining major returns, new reveals, and a long-term content strategy.
What Happened: State of Play Packed Major Franchises into a Single Showcase
Sony’s new State of Play event was not just a quick announcement stream — it was a showcase built to make a statement. The event featured an extended gameplay reveal for Marvel’s Wolverine; the introduction of God of War Laufey, the next game in the God of War series; a new look at Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis; release dates for Silent Hill: Townfall and Onimusha: Way of the Sword; and the announcement that Until Dawn 2 is coming in 2027.
Looking at that list, it’s clear Sony is not leaning on a single lane. On one side are the big brands closely associated with PlayStation; on the other are high-profile third-party collaborations across different genres. In particular, names like God of War and Wolverine stood out as still-central pillars of the PlayStation showcase.
The same presentation featured both new content and projects that mark a return to established series. That suggests Sony is investing in more than just safe bets for PS5 — it is building out a broad slate of franchises to carry the brand. In that sense, State of Play became far more than a series of individual game reveals; it turned into an event that pointed to Sony’s content backbone for 2026 and beyond.
God of War Laufey and Marvel’s Wolverine Define PS5’s High-Profile Lineup
One of the event’s biggest talking points was God of War Laufey. This time, the lead role does not belong to Kratos but to Faye. Deborah Ann Woll portrays Faye, who was introduced as ’s new central character. The story begins after Faye’s death and sends the character to a realm called Everywhen, described as a gods afterlife. There, she faces brutal gods from different mythologies.
God of War Laufey stood out as one of State of Play’s biggest moves by shifting the series’ focus from Kratos to Faye.
According to Sony Santa Monica’s description, Faye uses both swordplay and magic in combat. She also has an attack system powerful enough to tear an enemy’s soul from its body. That framing suggests the game is not just a character swap, but a major shift in both gameplay and narrative tone. After Kratos and Atreus occupied the center of the two previous mainline games, the spotlight now belongs to Faye.
Marvel’s Wolverine has a very different tone. Insomniac’s game was presented as one of PlayStation 5’s next major exclusives, and the extended gameplay shown during the event made its violence unmistakable. In the segment where Jean Grey appears for the first time, Logan is tracking down kidnapped mutants. Sony putting both a mainstream single-player heavyweight like God of War and a distinct superhero interpretation like Wolverine into the same showcase shows that PS5’s content strategy is not locked to one formula.
Taken together, the two games make Sony’s showcase strategy easier to read. God of War Laufey expands the series’ mythological and dramatic side. Marvel’s Wolverine, meanwhile, promises aggressive, bloody, high-tempo action. Both are high-profile projects, but they do not operate on the same wavelength. What Sony is doing here is placing major franchises with very different tones side by side in one presentation.
Silent Hill: Townfall, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Expand the Lineup
Another notable aspect of State of Play was that the announcements were not limited to PlayStation-owned brands. Silent Hill: Townfall was shown as a horror game developed by Screen Burn. Set in a foggy town on Scotland’s eastern coast, the game is defined by closed doors, abandoned houses, and disturbing creatures. It is clear the horror tone is being carried directly by the environment design.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword brings Capcom’s classic series back. The Japan mythology-inspired action game has you cutting down demons with a katana. The release date also showed that this was not just a reminder during the event, but a serious project tied to the calendar. That kind of announcement makes it clear Sony’s showcase is not limited to nostalgia; it also creates a space where classic series are made visible again.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis had already been revealed before, but this event delivered the first proper look. The game is a remake of the original Tomb Raider. Lara Croft returns in a modernized classic outfit, and the footage highlighted Egyptian tombs, jungle temples, and T-Rex encounters. The project represents the side of Sony’s showcase that repackages older brands and brings them directly to today’s audience.
When The Lost Wild is added to the mix, it becomes clear Sony also made room in the presentation for projects built around danger, exploration, and survival tension. The dinosaur-themed game is structured around a sense of horror and escape. In other words, the event did not only gather major action franchises — it also grouped together atmospheric and suspense-driven games under one roof.
What matters most here is this: Sony’s State of Play presentation was built less around isolated surprises and more around making brand variety visible all at once. That is why the event went beyond a simple announcement list and became a document that lays out the PS5’s next wave of content.
Until Dawn 2 and the 2027 Timeline Show Sony Is Playing the Long Game
One of the most striking messages in Sony’s showcase strategy was how far into the future some of the announcements reached. The reveal of Until Dawn 2 during this event shows the company is not only talking about the near-term release slate, but also positioning brands for later dates within the same presentation. The horror identity associated with the first game is now back in the spotlight through a sequel.
This approach suggests Sony is trying to build brand continuity rather than rely on one-off bursts of momentum during the PS5 era. God of War Laufey does not yet have a release date. Marvel’s Wolverine does. Silent Hill: Townfall, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis were also presented with dates. Until Dawn 2, meanwhile, was placed on the table as a longer-term card.
That structure sends a clear signal about PS5’s content direction: Sony is not leaving its showcase to the safe rhythm of its own internal studios alone. It is gathering major names from different genres in a single event, aiming to keep the platform in the conversation all year long. For that reason, State of Play feels less like a one-night presentation and more like the starting point for Sony’s 2026 showcase plan.
Sony’s approach can be read both for today and for the period ahead. On one side, franchise powerhouses like God of War keep the main pillar intact. On the other, names like Wolverine, Silent Hill, Onimusha, and Tomb Raider broaden the lineup. Until Dawn 2 serves as the closing beat that pushes this strategy into the future.
In short, State of Play made Sony’s PS5-era priorities unmistakable: strong franchises, comebacks, high-profile games across multiple genres, and a showcase strategy spread across the calendar. Even from a single presentation, the picture is clear. Sony is choosing to expand its PS5 content by multiplying franchises rather than narrowing them down.
