The image shows an old cannon on a wall overlooking a city by the sea. It would come across as a neat vacation photo if Escayg didn’t put the caption, “Research…” Research for what exactly? He didn’t say, but considering how much it lines up with Nathan Drake’s entire profile of gallivanting around, exploring ruins, and even dealing with pirates, what else but Uncharted?

A new title in the series wouldn’t be too surprising at this point. After all, Naughty Dog previously wrote that it has several “ambitious, brand new” single-player titles in the works (that “brand new” seemingly indicating that they’re not remakes). There’s also the rumor that Escayg has been working on an unannounced project for almost four years now, which may be the same that Druckmann is producing.

Could it be something out of left field, like, say, a new Jak and Daxter? Sure, but given that it’s been nearly a decade since Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – not to mention Escayg serving as co-director on Uncharted: The Lost Legacy – you’d have to think that Drake is gearing up for a return. Hopefully, we’ll learn more later this year.

While most of the video focuses on the classic games under Naughty Dog’s hat, the developers also spoke about the future of the studio. That includes Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin reiterating the focus on storytelling.

“I hope the future holds more of what Naughty Dog has always done: being at the forefront of making entertainment that is of the highest possible quality, telling the stories it wants to tell, with depth and meaning,” said Rubin in the video. Studio manager and head of operations Alison Mori echoed this statement. “I know our studio will continue to create amazing story-driven, character-based games that touch upon the human experience.”

“It’s really about embodying these characters that are very specific, and strong-willed characters, even though they’re flawed, and then making you connect with them and their journey in a way that, hopefully by the time you’re finished with that experience, you view reality a little bit differently,” said studio head Neil Druckmann.

Intergalactic is the next title by Naughty Dog, and will be the first new IP that the studio has worked on since it released The Last of Us all the way back in 2013. While there is no release date for the game as of yet, Druckmann has described it as being the studio’s “most ambitious”, “most expansive”, and “most expensive” game so far.

“We’re making it, we’re playing it. We’re firing on all cylinders,” said Druckmann about the development of Intergalactic back in September. “I’ve said this before, but I really mean it, I’m really feeling it right now: It’s the most ambitious game we’ve ever made. It’s the most expansive game we’ve ever made, maybe the most expensive, by the time we finish it.”

Druckmann also spoke about the potential for a sequel to Intergalactic if the title ends up being successful by noting that Naughty Dog as a studio doesn’t really tend to plan things like that out in advance. “We don’t tend to plan too much in the future, because we find — and this is something I inherited, it’s just the Naughty Dog culture — that we do our best work when it’s something we’re really excited about, really passionate about,” he said.

He also spoke about the studio discussing starting work on The Last of Us Part 3 after the success of Part 2. However, the team ultimately decided to start work on Intergalactic instead because there was passion behind wanting to work on a new sci-fi experience.

Intergalactic is being developed for PS5. Druckmann has also previously confirmed that he was stepping back from his duties on the TV adaptation of The Last of Us to focus on the upcoming game.

“We don’t tend to plan too much in the future, because we find — and this is something I inherited, it’s just the Naughty Dog culture — that we do our best work when it’s something we’re really excited about, really passionate about,” said Druckmann.

Following the success of The Last of Us Part 2, he recalls the team debating about “whether we should just go straight into ‘The Last of Us 3,’ and we had a really long period where we looked at ideas for maybe what could be in that game. We looked at — we have ‘Uncharted‘ as an IP, we have ‘Jak and Daxter‘ as an IP. But the team was really excited to do this sci-fi thing that we’ve been talking about for a while, and that’s where our passions lie, so that’s where we’re moving forward.”

If Intergalactic is a success, then Druckmann is sure that players will “see it again,” but that doesn’t mean it will be Naughty Dog’s next game. “Whether that will be our next game right after that, I can’t say, and I leave that door open. Not to be coy for this particular question, we want to see how we feel once we’re done with it and look at the options in front of us, because we have some other ideas that we’d like to explore as well.”

Druckmann previously said he had a “concept” in mind for The Last of Us Part 3, but not the full story. Of course, he would more recently tell Santa Monica Studio’s Cory Barlog that he didn’t have the confidence to plan sequels in advance. Speaking to Variety last March, he revealed that The Last of Us Part 2 could very well be the end of the series, but as his latest statements indicate, there’s no guarantee.

Regardless, it’ll be a while before Intergalactic launches on PS5, so in the meantime, head here for Druckmann’s thoughts on how it’s the studio’s most ambitious and expansive title yet.

Eventually, Naughty Dog would bring its craft to perfection with the Last of Us games, building on everything that had worked in the Uncharted games to a polished sheen, and delivering some of the greatest titles in the history of the medium in the process. But for as great as the Last of Us games are – and I say this as someone who legitimately feels The Last of Us Part 2 is one of the greatest games of all time – they are also fundamentally very different in the mood, tone, and aesthetic they strike as compared to Uncharted. For all the similarities that the two franchises share, if you wanted that globetrotting, swashbuckling, treasure hunting adventure, filled with some great action set pieces, some great historical fiction, and maybe a supernatural twist or two? The Last of Us is very decidedly not it.

Very few things are, as it turns out. Earlier, I mentioned Tomb Raider as an inspiration for Uncharted, and within the video games medium, at least, Tomb Raider absolutely is the best equivalent. And for what it’s worth, fans of Uncharted do have potentially three other games they might like a lot to check out in the new Tomb Raider trilogy, if they haven’t checked them out already. Those games rebooted the franchise, taking inspiration from Uncharted liberally (how the tables turn, and what have you). And while none of the new Tomb Raider games ever match Uncharted’s brilliance, they are still really good in their own right. If you want more games along those lines, they are well worth checking out.

But those games themselves are old now, and the Tomb Raider franchise has itself been inactive in terms of new releases for almost as long as Uncharted has. Inherently, it’s not unreasonable to assume that if there was any Uncharted fan who wanted more games along those lines, the seven years that have passed since the release of the final game in the modern Tomb Raider trilogy have provided more than enough time for them to look into those games for their fix. So pointing to Tomb Raider hardly helps here.

Where hope comes from for Uncharted fans in these cases ends up being a very, very unlikely game– in more ways than one. This month, Microsoft will release MachineGames’ fantastic Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5. The game, which launched in December last year for Xbox Series X/S and PC to great acclaim, is being brought over to the PS5 as part of Microsoft’s continued multiplatform publishing push. Admittedly, the idea of a Microsoft game acting as a stand in for a flagship PlayStation franchise is hilarious, as is the idea that Indiana Jones, the granddaddy of Uncharted and Tomb Raider to begin with, has come in with an eleventh hour win here- but the game’s quality speaks for itself. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a marvelous single player action adventure game that really hits the perfect tone and aesthetic, takes players to multiple locations around the world on a globetrotting treasure hunting story, has a great historical fiction infused central plot and mystery, and has some really strong storytelling- which, of course, is typical for MachineGames.

They are obviously not perfect equivalents. Indiana Jones is largely a first person game, for starters, which creates a fundamental change to the flow of the moment to moment gameplay. It is also far less focused on combat than the Uncharted games. Naughty Dog’s franchise is, of course, so combat focused that it has given rise to a whole class of memes about how the series’ protagonist Nathan Drake is a mass murderer (and even led to the rise in awareness of ludonarrative dissonance, and what it may mean when it comes to video games). Anyone who has seen the Indiana Jones movies, of course, knows that that level of killing and violence isn’t exactly what the eponymous main character is known for. And so it makes sense that The Great Circle de-emphasizes action.

Instead, the game is designed almost like an immersive sim. Rather than guiding players through linear areas interspersing light platforming and puzzle solving with heavy combat encounters, The Great Circle moves players into small sandbox style semi open areas, giving players objectives but mostly leaving it to them to figure out how to go about them. In other words, it almost plays like an immersive sim lite. In any area, in any part of the game, Indiana Jones will have to contend with a lot of armed opponents, but he will rarely be shooting them away in grand shootouts. Instead, The Great Circle emphasizes stealth and melee combat, it emphasizes puzzles, and it emphasizes exploration and discovery within its areas for players to figure out how to progress.

This is a fundamentally different type of game than Uncharted in that sense. If you were in it purely for linear and high octane action packed gameplay, and the roller coaster style set pieces and combat encounters that Uncharted is known for, then little in The Great Circle would scratch that itch (though it does admittedly have some excellent set pieces). At the end of the day, it’s not really going for that sort of experience, so if that’s the sort of Uncharted-style game you’re looking for, your search for something new that fills that niche is sadly going to have to continue.

However, for other fans, who primarily want Uncharted’s pulpy, high octane, swashbuckling tone, its globe trotting adventure stories blending fact and fiction, for those fans who want Uncharted’s vibes more than anything, The Great Circle is a fantastic pick, one that carves out a very comfortable place for itself in the pantheon that Naughty Dog and Uncharted had monopolized for the better part of two decades now. That’s an amazing feat, and hopefully, MachineGames gets the chance to build on that with the follow up to this game.

As for Uncharted? Hopefully, a new one of those is on the horizon as well. Thankfully we have something great and new that has a lot of the same vibes– but MachineGames’ take on Indy is ultimately its own thing (which is arguably one of the reasons it’s so good, and doesn’t just suffer from a knock-off syndrome). It’s not the exact alchemy that led Uncharted to becoming one of the most beloved brands in the industry. When the next one of those is coming is anyone’s guess– in a couple of years, it will have been a whole ten years since the last time the franchise was active. Hopefully there’s a new release well before then.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

With production values ramping, it’s interesting how Remedy has drawn inspiration from Naughty Dog of The Last of Us fame. This isn’t a recent development either. Alan Wake 2 director Kyle Rowley said in the Behind the Voice podcast that he brought this up while working on Quantum Break.

“When I came to Quantum Break, I was excited about working on something that had… One of my favorite games at the time was Uncharted… And I remember discussing it with our lead animator. I was like, ‘We should be aiming to kind of be like the European version of Naughty Dog.’

“That would be cool if we could get that same level of feel, and that was the type of game I like to play. I was excited about working on it.” Given the success of Alan Wake 2, which sold over 1.8 million copies as of November 2024, it’s safe to say that Remedy has achieved a similar expertise in crafting memorable narratives.

Alan Wake 2 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our review here, where we gave it a nine out of ten.

MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is out now, and it’ll shock you how much it is not like Uncharted- and how much better it is for it. It delivers a spectacular swashbuckling adventure, and does it in a way that feels incredibly true to the spirit of the Indiana Jones IP (more so than even most of the movies themselves), but it does so by marching to the beat of its own drum, and in a way that feels completely different from what Naughty Dog did time and again with Uncharted. Here, we’re going to go over some of the key things that help it set itself apart.

FIRST-PERSON

Let’s start with the most obvious way MachineGames’ Indy title differs from the typical Uncharted experience. When it was announced that The Great Circle would be a primarily first person game, there were many who were unhappy about the decision. For most, the idea playing as Indiana Jones from a third person perspective seemed outlandish, though now that we’ve played the game, we can say that first person was absolutely the right way to go.

MachineGames obviously has expertise with first person games, which is evident in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The game delivers stellar first person gameplay across combat, stealth, and exploration, while its perspective also helps immerse players in the game’s world, and more importantly, in the role of Indiana Jones himself- a pivotal factor for a purported Indiana Jones simulator, as you might imagine. Best of all, the game also knows exactly when it shouldn’t stick to its first person perspective. In gameplay, there are some brief sections from time to time (usually related to platforming or traversal) where the camera pulls back and we see Indy himself, while all of the cutscenes (of which there is no shortage) are obviously not first person, which was pretty much exactly how MachineGames did things in the Wolfenstein games as well.

Long story short: against all odds, it turns out first person was actually the exact right choice for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

STEALTH-FOCUSED

It’s not like Uncharted has never done stealth – in fact, Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy feature heavy stealth elements – but while Naughty Dog’s series is primarily action driven and features stealth elements here and there (and not even those in the earlier entries), Indiana Jones is essentially a stealth-first game. It does that in more ways than one, delivering actual, conventional first-person stealth, with Indy sneaking past Nazis and fascists aplenty, knocking enemies out, distracting them, moving bodies, and what have you. On top of that, you also get a good deal of social stealth, which is where The Great Circle turns almost into a Hitman Lite-esque experience, with players equipping disguises and moving through heavily guarded areas while trying to ensure nobody sees past your ruse.

The stealth in MachineGames’ adventure outing is excellent, in a word. And of course, it also fits the Indiana Jones IP perfectly. Over the course of five movies, we’ve often seen Indy being stealthy in different ways, and the game captures that to great effect, feeling like an authentic Indiana Jones experience.

THE COMBAT

When you’re not stealthing around and choose to instead dive into conflict head-on, combat in The Great Circle also ends up being entirely different from Uncharted’s cover-shooting affairs- and not just because it’s a first person game. No, more important is the fact that this isn’t a shooter at all. Yes, you can shoot your guns, but ammo is limited, and shooting is pretty much never encouraged, which means you are going to be relying on melee combat more often than not.

Now, Uncharted has had sprinklings of melee combat to varying degrees across multiple instalments, but The Great Circle places a much greater emphasis on fisticuffs, and also does so in very different ways. Throwing punches, grabbing foes, dodging and parrying attacks is all important, while Indy’s whip also plays an important role, as a means of both disarming foes and pulling them to you. What really defines the combat, however, is the ability to pick up a vast variety of items scattered everywhere and use them as improvisational weapons- hammers, pipes, pickaxes, shovels, bottles, guitars, flyswatters, pans, you name it. Not only is it incredibly comedic and unadulterated fun, it’s also an entirely new and unique brand of combat- and once again, perfect for an Indiana Jones game.

SEMI-OPEN WORLD

No, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is not an open world game, and yes, it does have its fair share of linear, cinematic set piece sequences- but it’s also a much more open-ended and expansive game than any Uncharted. Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy did have their semi-open world sections, to be fair, but The Great Circle boasts multiple large maps that players are free to explore to their heart’s content, can return to whenever they want, and will find a shocking volume of content in.

But The Great Circle’s maps aren’t just large and packed with content, they’re also incredibly designed. Exploration feels organic, thanks to the game’s incredible, diegetic UI, especially if you play on Moderate Adventure difficulty. Chancing upon secrets, stumbling into side quests, and chancing upon mysteries never stops feeling compelling, while the quality of the content itself also deserves a ton of praise. Add to that the immersive sim-style design and elements scattered throughout the game, and you get an entirely unique flavour of a globetrotting adventure in a video game.

MORE PUZZLE-FOCUSED

Obviously, Uncharted has always had its fair share of puzzles, right from the beginning of the franchise, and it hasn’t been a slouch in that department either. Once again, however, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle places much more emphasis on puzzles. Where Uncharted is a primarily action driven experience, Indiana Jones focuses on the “adventure” in “action-adventure” way more. A lot of that comes from the exploration and the semi-open world design, which we’ve discussed, but a great deal also comes from the puzzles.

There’s a lot of puzzles to be found throughout the game, and it’s impressive how consistently well designed the vast majority of them are. Crafting satisfying brain teasers that don’t hold your hand but also don’t make you feel like banging your head against a wall can be a delicate act, but The Great Circle excels at making you feel like a genius archeology expert who has a knack for solving historical mysteries and puzzles. From small, bite-sized puzzles that you may chance upon while diving into the nooks and crannies of the world, to larger, more significant ones that serve as the centerpieces of major quests or side quests, there’s a vast variety of puzzles packed into the game, and it’s hard not look forward to each and every one.

Sony Pictures has said on a number of occasions since then that it intends to make more Uncharted films, and the company has now confirmed that one is in the works. As reported by Variety, among its list of upcoming projects that are currently being worked on, the next Uncharted movie is also mentioned. Presumably, it will once again feature Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg as Nathan Drake and Victor Sully respectively.

When the movie will release or when we might begin hearing more details about it remains to be seen. Interestingly, Sony Pictures is currently also working with Nintendo on a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda.

Of course, for all the successful first-party titles that PlayStation has pumped out, there are a few well-known IPs which have sunk into oblivion over time. No, not Killzone, whose last entry, Shadow Fall, launched in 2013 for the PS4 and received a 73 Metascore. Not Bloodborne, which is still considered FromSoftware’s finest work by hardcore fans and still hasn’t received a remaster or remake, let alone a port to PS5. It’s not Knack, which is still a meme even after the improved sequel.

It’s Uncharted, a franchise that began in 2007 on the PlayStation 3, generating four big titles and a few spin-offs. The story is about Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter who is a quote-unquote descendant of Sir Francis Drake. The series is more than a little inspired by Indiana Jones but also features healthy dollops of pulp fiction, media like National Treasure and more to craft mystery-laden action-adventure titles.

Uncharted hit its stride in 2009 with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, a sequel that many considered one of the best games ever. It would be followed by Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception in 2011, which, while not as acclaimed as its predecessor, still averaged an impressive 92 Metascore and sold millions of units. The set pieces became more bombastic and high-budget as the trilogy progressed, but the series never stopped focusing on Drake’s interpersonal relationships, the thrill of the chase or the extensive exploration and platforming that defined each adventure.

Even if it ended there, Uncharted would have been one of the best video game trilogies ever made, standing alongside Mass Effect, God of War, Metroid Prime, the list goes on. However, Naughty Dog announced Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End in 2013, and, based on the title alone, it generated more than its fair share of discussion. Would the fourth title mark the end of the series at last? Was this the end of Nathan Drake? Was Naughty Dog killing off the character?

Upon launching in May 2016, the developer revealed a much more personal journey for Nathan, who reunited with his brother Sam and embarked on one last big treasure hunt. While there were a few qualms regarding its narrative, Uncharted 4 was praised universally for its visuals, set pieces, combat, more open levels, performances, and fitting conclusion to a beloved series.

“Conclusion” is the important part here. Naughty Dog has said without fail over the past several years that it’s done with the franchise. As recently as January 2023, co-president Neil Druckmann told Buzzfeed, “At Naughty Dog we’re very, very privileged that our publisher is Sony — which means Sony funds our games, supports us, and we’re owned by Sony. They have supported us every step of the way to follow our passions — meaning that just because something is successful, people think there’s all this pressure, and we have to make a sequel.

“That’s not the case. For us, Uncharted was insanely successful — Uncharted 4 was one of our best-selling games — and we’re able to put our final brushstroke on that story and say that we’re done. We’re moving on.”

However, some at the studio – like Shaun Escayg, the creative director on spin-off Uncharted: The Lost Legacy – say it’s “a franchise that the studio loves” and “wants to see more of.” In January 2022, Escayg told GamesRadar, “I think we can say for certain that we can never say never. Uncharted is a franchise we love – that the studio loves. It’s a world we want to see more of. So I can certainly say that.” This was after co-president Evan Wells told Game Informer in August 2021 that the studio still has “a ton of love for Uncharted and The Last of Us, and I think you’ll see both kinds of projects from us in the future.”

This was following the launch of The Last of Us Part 2, as rumors of a standalone multiplayer project were already circulating (which was announced and subsequently cancelled). While Naughty Dog’s involvement with Uncharted remains the same on the surface – no officially announced sequel or such coming up – plenty is seemingly happening behind the scenes.

An Uncharted multiplayer title was reportedly in the works, per Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier in April 2021, at Bend Studio with Naughty Dog supervising. It was allegedly cancelled as the Days Gone developer moved on to an untitled new IP (also sporting multiplayer support).

However, in April 2022, Naughty Dog hired a new “primary Recruiter” in charge of “building future teams for not only new titles but for the legacy of Uncharted, which is very personal and specific to me and my family.” Sony would also establish a new first-party triple-A studio in San Diego, with job listings indicating it was “co-developing an exciting new project with Naughty Dog in a beloved franchise.”

Nothing official came of all this, though in December 2022, TheLeak.co reported that a reboot for Uncharted was in the works at a “new, unknown studio” and that Naughty Dog wasn’t leading the project (which fits with the San Diego studio’s listing). While development is stated to be in its “infancy,” it’s possible that Sony may have shifted towards or greenlit another title in the franchise – a remake, per XboxEra in February 2024.

The latter is allegedly a ground-up remake of the first game for PS5, though it was still “being very strongly considered,” indicating that it may not progress further. Once again, Naughty Dog isn’t developing the title – its involvement in this case is relatively unknown.

Regardless, things are allegedly happening, and there is some interest from Sony in doing something with Uncharted. How those plans have shifted over time is unknown (especially following the 2022 film’s success at the box success). Nevertheless, as a franchise, Uncharted is as synonymous with PlayStation as any other brand.

The franchise arguably represented a shift for the publisher and Naughty Dog, the latter moving towards more realistic visuals and grounded stories. Nathan Drake may not return as the leading hero, but he was undoubtedly the mascot for Sony during its PlayStation 3 days, distinguishing it from the competition as a premier destination for high-end triple-A single-player titles.

Based on all these rumors, it’s unknown if a direct follow-up to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will ever occur. Uncharted 5 may very well be a soft reboot that features a new leading character, albeit one with ties to Drake, as indicated by the last game’s ending. If that does happen, it wouldn’t be odd for Sony to remake the older games and usher in a new audience. Regardless of the direction, the legacy of Drake lives on, and his exploits remain the stuff of legend. Here’s hoping the future matches up to his illustrious past.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Some are fine with that. Others are probably angry. You can make up your mind. However, it does raise the question: What are Sony’s first-party studios doing?

Let’s start with the confirmed titles. First is Insomniac Games, which finally showcased gameplay for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Not only did it introduce Kraven as one of the new villains, but also Dr Curt Connors in his Lizard incarnation, tearing through the East River as Kraven’s Hunters chased him. The Symbiote suit was also revealed, but on Peter Parker, who has some new brutal abilities to go with it. Miles Morales was no slouch, showcasing new gadgets and enhanced Venom Blast powers that can chain lightning.

It was a lot to dissect, and we’re left with many questions about the story (like the state of Harry Osborne). A release date isn’t confirmed, but Insomniac said it would share the same soon with other details like the pre-order date, accessibility features and more.

Haven Studios, founded by Jade Raymond of Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs and EA Motive fame, also showcased its brand-new title, Fairgame$. Coming to PS5 and PC, it’s an online heist game with competitive elements. No gameplay was showcased, but the various scenarios of its CG trailer did reinforce the emergent sandbox moments that Haven is going for.

Heisters had a grappling hook which could, well, grapple onto the environment and hoist them up. However, it could also grapple a piece of metal to use as a shield or create a barrier against laser wires. It appears to support three-player teams, but not much else is known. A QR code led to a page that may be for pre-registering for an upcoming closed beta. It’s either that or Sony really wants to know which billionaire needs a spanking (seriously).

Firewalk Studios, founded in 2018 by Harold Ryan, former CEO of Bungie, unveiled its new title as well. It’s a PvP first-person shooter called Concord out in 2024 for PS5 and PC. That’s more or less it – yes, once again, no gameplay was showcased. It was touted as a “unique universe of vibrant worlds” and a “rich cast of colorful characters,” so maybe a hero shooter? It’s too early to say, but its director and executive producer have worked on Destiny, so we’ll see.

Odd as it sounds, that’s really all that was revealed on the first-party side. Bungie is owned by Sony and unveiled Marathon, but that’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC with crossplay and cross-save. It’s also a PvP extraction shooter, presumably one with live-service elements. Again, time will tell, but at least whenever gameplay debuts, it will be closer to the game’s release. So there’s that.

It’s understandable for some to be worried that this is all Sony has in the pipeline from its first-party studios. However, Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson reported that “a lot of the games we’re waiting on seeing are pretty much ready” and he was unsure why Sony chose to not reveal them. The Snitch further chimed in, stating that there some announcements weren’t revealed at the Showcase, and it’s unknown why.

One of those is a PC port for a triple-A title reportedly out in July. That would probably answer what Nixxes is up to, though your guess is as good as ours as what said title could be (update: It’s Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, out on July 26th for Steam and the Epic Games Store).

Some of the projects we know about that aren’t formally announced include Bend Studio’s next game. The Days Gone developer is working on a new IP with a “whole new world,” which builds on the open-world systems seen in its zombie survival title and incorporates multiplayer. It’s planning to reveal the title when the time is “right” – sadly, that time wouldn’t be at the recent PlayStation Showcase.

Firesprite, fresh off of releasing Horizon Call of the Mountain with Guerrilla Games, had job listings last year for a “triple-A narrative-driven horror adventure game.” However, later rumors indicated that it’s also working on a reboot of Twisted Metal, with a former Destruction AllStars director onboard. While Firesprite never officially announced it, several job listings emerged last February for a new triple-A multiplayer title that “aims to break new ground in multiplayer, blending gameplay mechanics in new ways and deeply embedding storytelling elements into a unique universe.”

The Principal Designer listing also mentioned “mechanics around vehicular and on-foot combat.” Even if Twisted Metal is in the works, perhaps to coincide with the upcoming show, it seems to be a ways off from release.

Guerrilla Games released Horizon Forbidden West last year to critical and commercial success and followed it up with the Burning Shores expansion this past April. It also worked on the PlayStation VR2 title Horizon Call of the Mountain. Given how Forbidden West and Burning Shores ended, we can safely assume Horizon 3 is on the way.

For its part, the developer confirmed that it would continue “to create epic solo adventures for Aloy.” However, it’s also working on an online Horizon game, developed by a “new internal team” and featuring a “new cast of characters” and a “unique stylized look.” Subsequent job listings have suggested that it will be open-world and feature new Machines, though, again, it may be a while before any gameplay is showcased.

There’s been a lot of talk about online titles and live service, so here’s some potentially good news for single-player fans – Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch Productions put up job listings last year for a new project. The Encounter Designer listing indicated this was “an open-world game, with a particular focus on melee combat and stealth.”

That sounds like a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima is in development. Whether it’s coming sooner than expected, especially since the first game was released in 2020, remains to be seen, but it would be incredibly hype. Will Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, the amazing four-player co-op experience, also return? It probably isn’t beyond Sony to already have a live-service spin-off based on the same in development, so we’ll see.

Amid all of Sony’s first-party studios, Bluepoint Games appears to be the most low-key. The Demon’s Souls remake developer revealed earlier this year that it was “hard at work on our next project” but also that it would showcase it “When the time is right. All good things take time.” What’s particularly interesting is that this project isn’t a remake but “original content,” according to Sony. A sequel to Bloodborne, as rumored by XboxEra in October 2021? One could hope, but the mill has run dry on reliable Bloodborne rumors over the years.

LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule confirmed that live support for Dreams would end on September 1st, 2023, as it focuses on its “exciting new project.” The developer has confirmed it’s not Dreams 2 or based on the IP. Studio co-founder Mark Healey, who served as the creative director of Dreams, left the studio shortly after the announcement.

Another co-founder, Kareem Ettouney, who also served as art director, also departed the studio earlier this year. While this doesn’t mean Media Molecule are in trouble, you have to wonder what it means for the future, especially since ending support for Dreams wasn’t an “easy decision.”

Another low-key first-party studio lately has been London Studio, which released VR shooter Blood and Truth in 2019. It confirmed last October that it’s working on a non-VR, online co-op title set in London but with a fantasy twist. Developed on the in-house Soho Engine, co-studio head Tara Saunders said it’s the studio’s “most ambitious game to date.” While it doesn’t use “all different bits of peripherals, it is still about taking that DNA of innovation and putting it into any game concept,” per Saunders.

Regarding the theme, co-studio head Stuart Whyte revealed, “Our overarching theme is about bringing fantastical and magical elements and intersecting that with familiar worlds, and you don’t get much more familiar to us than London.” Again, sounds interesting, but it may be a ways off from release.

Astro’s Playroom developer Team Asobi was one of the only teams to survive the end of Japan Studio and now exists as a standalone developer. Last we heard, it’s working on “a franchise for all ages with global appeal,” per PlayStation Studios head Herman Hulst. A job listing in July 2021 indicated the studio was hiring for a 3D action title and that creativity and humor would be a part of it. Again, no formal announcement made, so it’s a toss-up when we’ll hear about it.

Finally, there’s Naughty Dog, working on a standalone multiplayer title for The Last of Us. Unfortunately, it seems that development has run into some issues. The developer revealed it’s giving the project “more time,” while Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier said it’s being reassessed for “quality and long-term viability.”

The development team has reportedly been scaled back, with some going to work on other projects, but it’s not cancelled. Interestingly, Naughty Dog said it has “other games” in the works, including a “brand new single-player experience.” The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann confirmed he was working on a new project last year, while also saying it was “too early” to discuss. He’s open to developing The Last of Us Part 3, but that’s not exactly set in stone (yet).

There were rumors of an Uncharted reboot, developed by a different studio. A new recruiter was brought on last year to build teams for “new games” and the “legacy of Uncharted.” Sony would subsequently announce a new internal studio in San Diego with PlayStation Studios Visual Arts to work with Naughty Dog on a “new project in a beloved franchise.” A tease for what could be the next Uncharted was spotted in a live-action trailer for PS5 in January, but again, nothing official has been announced.

There are other first-party studios like Housemarque and Santa Monica Studio, but the former has not indicated its next project. The latter released God of War Ragnarok last November, and it may be a long while before its next project is unveiled. Polyphony Digital indicated in February that work has started on the next Gran Turismo, but it can’t talk about the same just yet. In the meantime, it continues to pump out content updates for Gran Turismo 7.

Given all the projects in development, it remains to be seen if Sony will have more State of Plays this year to showcase its other projects. It’s not odd to see a publisher hold back announcements to avoid bloating its shows (see Xbox). Sony may also be taking a page out of Nintendo’s book and keeping its completed projects under wraps before announcing and releasing them within the same time frame.

If nothing else, it could also be a lean year for triple-A exclusives on the PS5. Given Sony’s recently revealed strategy to have two or more major games yearly, it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise. As horrifying as that no doubt sounds for the PlayStation diehard, the company has released several high-profile exclusives since the PS5’s launch in November 2020. There’s bound to be some downtime in between.

Nevertheless, it should still be an interesting year for PS5 players. Final Fantasy 16 is out in June; Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is reportedly targeting a September release; Helldivers 2 is later this year; and we’re still awaiting news on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the next chapter in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, still planned for Winter 2023. The near future is pretty bright, even if we still need more details on what’s coming in 2024 and beyond.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

RESIDENT EVIL

We quite like the idea of a survival horror game that takes place in a large and open setting and offers the freedom of an open world game. The Evil Within 2’s semi-open world sections, for instance, are among the game’s highlights. But Resident Evil most certainly isn’t a franchise that should veer in that direction. The level design is always a core pillar of any new Resident Evil game, and navigating the series’ trademark settings with their meticulous design is always a massive part of the experience. Going open world would dilute that massively, to say the very least. Resident Evil Village’s hub and spoke did, to be fair, boast more open ended design on a macro level, and yes, the game was better for it, but we wouldn’t want to see a Resident Evil game trying to take that design philosophy to its absolute extreme.