Ever since PlayStation set the expectation for State of Play all those years ago, there really hasn’t been one that wowed the crowd.

February 12’s State of Play wasn’t insane or spectacular, but I thought it was pretty darn good. Yes, it featured a lot of things we knew about — Resident Evil Requiem, Marathon, and 007: First Light — but it did a good job getting me hyped for the year ahead, especially since many of the new reveals are coming this year.

No breaks, let’s talk ball.

2026’s GOTY is locked up, Kena: Scars of Kosmora drops in this year

I absolutely adored Kena: Bridge of Spirits; it was my 2021 GOTY. I audibly clapped out loud when the Ember Lab logo dropped — I realized it was time.

We got a brief look at a much more open world, mount riding, and some combat. The biggest shock is the sequel arriving sometime this year — usually a reveal like this would’ve been at least a year or two away.

Control Resonant looks so different yet so similar in a great way

I can’t tell you anything about the narrative, but I really enjoyed Control. I liked the world and the abilities, and with Remedy now focusing on a shared world narrative across Alan Wake and Control, I’m really excited to see what Control Resonant does to up the ante.

It’s funny how similar it feels despite being vastly different. Dylan Faden, Resonant’s protagonist, leans heavily into a melee fighter with the Aberrant (his weapon of choice) and some Gravity Rush-like abilities that shape the world around you. I couldn’t shake the Marvel Avengers fight for Manhattan similarities that floated through my mind while watching the sequence shown.

I really hope Remedy nails the Resonant, the dominant threat shown at the end of the gameplay reveal. It gives off such a creepy vibe and could open the door to cool-ass moments, but given the gameplay direction as a melee-centric title, I could see it falling flat.

Konami remembered it makes video games

I’ll be fair, I’m not a Konami nut, but after the Kojima fallout all those years ago, Konami kind of faded into obscurity. I guess the Japanese studio realized it’s capable of making video games, with a massive triple splash coming this year.

We got three big announcements – Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 (METAL GEAR SOLID: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS MY KING), Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, and Silent Hill: Townfall. 

I’m really excited for Belmont’s Curse, a new entry in the historic gothic-horror series coming from The Rogue Prince of Persia team, Evil Empire. I’m not going to lie, MGS 4 and Silent Hill: Townfall have piqued my curiosity, especially after Silent Hill f‘s strong debut in 2025.

Welcome back Konami, your fans missed you.

It’s the guy from Fortnite

I feel like John Wick in gaming has always been in the rumor mill. If we don’t count John Wick Hex, the Baba Yaga is finally making his debut.

I think the biggest shocker here is that Keanu Reeves will be reprising his role as Wick, which seems crazy, but it could’ve completely gone the opposite way. Some gameplay shots were shown, but that was it. Who cares, though?

We will be seated.

Bungie may as well release Marathon

Bungie needs an absolute win, and while I don’t think Marathon is the right path forward, I’m not actively rooting against it. Marathon made an appearance during the State of Play to announce a Server Slam running from February 26 through March 3, or a few days before the game launches.

My problem is that Marathon faced an uphill battle since it was revealed, and running a hype test period days before release doesn’t sit right with me. Running a beta test two weeks prior with content creators and viewers who get access would’ve been my strategy. Doing it days before launch doesn’t fill me with hope that any real feedback will be addressed on March 4, the day before launch.

God of War turns 20 and is doing the thing… and so is TC Carson???

Saving the best for last, let’s talk Dad of War.

The long-awaited God of War Remake has finally been revealed, and we’ll be getting God of War 1-3 on modern-day consoles.

Of course, it wouldn’t be young Kratos without TC Carson, and the beloved OG actor is back. This was a shock, since it seemed the relationship between him and PlayStation had soured after Christoper Judge took the reins of the character. I think we all thought Judge would play younger Kratos if/when this remake came, but that’s clearly not the case.

The reveal didn’t show anything other than a title card since the title is still in early development. It’s got me thinking, though — how far do they go with the remake? Do they convert the game to an over-the-shoulder style like the recent games? Do they flesh out narrative elements to tie in with the later games?

Do they remove the “orb-farming” scenes?

We’ll find out, but wait, there’s more! God of War Sons of Sparta, the 2D side-scroller that’s been rumored for some time, shadow dropped as TC was on the big screen. It’s set during Kratos’ childhood years, where he and Deimos spend their years training, with TC voicing Kratos again.

I’m waiting for the dust to settle and verdicts to come in since the artstyle doesn’t really appeal to me. However, Reddit has confirmed the story is good, since it does exactly what it intended to do, focusing on Kratos and Deimos.

Thank you, Reddit.

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So look, this wasn’t the fabled State of Play that would produce Bloodborne 2 and the 60FPS patch for the first game. We didn’t see Wolverine, we didn’t get The Last of Us Part 2 Remake, or the third entry.

Yet, I still thought this was a good showcase.

Yes, we knew a few of these games were coming, but it did a good job of getting me excited for 2026. The ones we didn’t know about, like Kena: Scars of Kosmora and Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, also hit the mark with some genuine surprises.

I like what I saw, and I think this was one of the better State of Plays to date.