On September 24 at the Tokyo Game Show, Japan’s biggest gaming festival, Sony unveiled updates to existing titles and teased upcoming releases. Despite highlights like Battlefield 6 and Deus Ex Remastered, the event drew one of the weakest audiences for a State of Play in the past two years.
At September 2025’s State of Play, Sony delivered a packed program full of highly anticipated announcements and updates for the PlayStation 5. One of the highlights was the first full trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine from Insomniac Games, showcasing a dark, intense atmosphere and brutal combat. The game is set to release in fall 2026 and will be a PS5 exclusive.
Housemarque also revealed a new project, Saros, an action game with roguelike elements set on the ever-changing planet Carcos, scheduled for March 20, 2026. Fans of action-RPGs got exciting news with Code Vein II, the sequel to the vampire-themed series, coming January 30, 2026.
Other notable announcements included a Dynasty Warriors 3 remaster arriving in March 2026, a new Crimson Desert trailer revealing more about the game’s story and world, and a PvPvE project, Let It Die: Inferno, from GungHo Online Entertainment. Fans also got updates for Gran Turismo 7, including new tracks and vehicles. All the announcements, trailers, and other details can be found here.
The showcase peaked at just over 1.4 million concurrent viewers, with roughly 38% watching through PlayStation’s official YouTube channel. Other streams pulled in smaller numbers, though individual creators also made an impact, most notably Maximilian Miles Christiansen, better known as Maximilian Dood, one of the leading voices in the fighting games community.
Altogether, the event was streamed in nearly thirty languages, with English commanding more than 63% of total viewership. Platform-wise, YouTube drew the overwhelming majority (also 63%), while Kick accounted for less than two percent.
Although the showcase pulled in big numbers on its own, its performance ranks among the weaker entries in the State of Play series. Setting aside one-off editions focused on single titles, the last time a full-length show drew so few live viewers was back in 2023.
That contrast is even sharper considering this was the first full-length State of Play since the record-setting February and June editions, which peaked at 2.1-2.2 million live viewers.
Following September’s Apple and Nintendo events, State of Play shows have completely fallen out of this year’s top five showcases. The number one spot remains with Nintendo Direct, which unveiled all the key details about the then-upcoming Switch 2. And for now, it’s tough to imagine any other gaming or tech showcase topping it in 2025.
Despite the lineup of trailers and reveals, viewership of PlayStation’s flagship showcase hasn’t quite matched its highs earlier this year. Fans are still tuning in, though in smaller numbers, prompting questions about how the event will position itself against rivals like Nintendo Direct. The next edition will be an important opportunity to see how State of Play continues to engage the audience.
