The September 2026 PlayStation State of Play has concluded, leaving many gamers disappointed by the notable absences. While some new titles were showcased, the highly anticipated updates on key first-party games like Naughty Dog’s “Intergalactic,” as well as other major projects, failed to materialize.
Missing in Action: The Games We Wanted
The showcase was marked by a string of high-profile no-shows. Fans were hoping for fresh details on upcoming titles such as “God of War: Laufey,” the multiplayer spin-off for “Horizon Hunters Gathering,” and updates on the ambitious project, “Fairgames.” The future of Bungie’s revival of the classic franchise, “Marathon,” also remained shrouded in mystery.
The silence from several other PlayStation Studios was equally deafening. Dreams maker Media Molecule and Days Gone studio Sony Bend have been relatively quiet for years. It has now been six years since Media Molecule last shipped a game, and seven since Bend first launched Days Gone. The anticipation is palpable, but the wait continues.
Naughty Dog’s “Intergalactic”: Radio Silence Continues
The absence of Naughty Dog’s “Intergalactic” was particularly felt. Just this week, the studio broke its relative radio silence to confirm that it had now completed Intergalactic’s performance capture. This confirmation, in hindsight, feels more like a subtle acknowledgement that no further update would be provided today. Naughty Dog last shipped an all-new game in 2020, with The Last of Us 2, though has spent time since on various remakes and its now-scrapped multiplayer The Last of Us spinoff.
“God of War: Laufey,” “Horizon Hunters Gathering,” and the Uncertain Future of “Fairgames”
With less than six months to go until release, “God of War: Laufey” seemed like a likely candidate for an appearance today, though Sony did spend considerable time on the game back in July. As for Sony’s multiplayer Horizon spinoff, its own no-show seems to align with the recent Bloomberg report that Sony was unhappy with feedback to the game’s public playtest, with the game now potentially shifting from being a live-service title to one based around co-operative play with a story mode.
The Mystery Deepens: What’s Happening with “Fairgames”?
What on earth is going on with “Fairgame”? It’s a fair question. Built by Haven Studios, the developer previously set up by Assassin’s Creed co-creator Jade Raymond, this live-service heist game has not been glimpsed for years. Last year, it emerged Raymond had departed the company. A few months later, “Fairgame”‘s creative director followed suit. Raymond’s last shipped game remains Star Wars: Battlefront 2, which EA published back in 2017.
Bungie’s “Marathon”: A Ghost of Its Former Self?
And finally, there’s “Marathon”, being worked on by the remains of Bungie. With Destiny 2 development seemingly winding down after a decade and hundreds of staff laid off, there’s been little word on what the future holds for Bungie. But as “Marathon”‘s player numbers dwindle, the question must be asked how much longer it too will be considered worth supporting. And all of this amid constant calls even now for a Destiny 3.
Looking Ahead: GTA 6 and Beyond
At the end of the day, though, does any of this matter? In just two months’ time, Sony will watch as Grand Theft Auto 6, the biggest game of this console generation, is released alongside marketing telling prospective GTA customers that the game plays best on PS5. Today was not a great showcase of Sony’s first-party output, but with GTA 6 fast approaching, it’s fair to suggest that there may be better moments to make big announcements.
For everything that did make it into today’s showcase, catch up on everything announced during Sony’s State of Play September 2026 broadcast right here.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social.
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