Many gamers are understandably waiting for June, as many gaming companies will be hosting showcases to show off upcoming games. 505 Games already held its showcase, but as of this writing, the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase and Summer Game Fest are penciled in for June. It’s likely some third-party publishers like Ubisoft will also host a showcase this summer, whether in June or at a later date, but the big three are almost guaranteed.
However, unlike Xbox, neither Sony nor Nintendo have confirmed any such showcase yet. Fans have a lot of games they want to see at these, such as Bayonetta 3 and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet for Nintendo (if at a Pokemon Direct instead of the “main" Direct) and Hogwarts Legacy, Final Fantasy 16, and/or God of War Ragnarok at a State of Play.
Understandably, however, fans are worried about delays or these games skipping showcases. Given recent delays and happenings, it’s understandable. But one recent reveal adds some credibility to upcoming State of Play rumors.
State of Play Rumors
Right now, there are a couple of rumors out there about a PlayStation State of Play. The first, most popular and most-pushed, is there will be a State of Play in the first week of June. If so, fans could probably expect Sony to announce this near the end of the month/start of June. It would be good timing to show off more PS Plus Premium games, as well as coincide with other industry promises.
For example, while seeing God of War and Final Fantasy 16 both at a State of Play seems unlikely, Square Enix is holding back a Final Fantasy 16 trailer for some reason. A stage to show it at makes the most sense, and the first week of June lines up with its Spring promise.
Either way, the second rumor is that nothing may happen until September. This would no doubt be upsetting for many fans, but that event should still happen whether or not one in June does. For the past couple of years, Sony has held its bigger PlayStation Showcase in September, so this adds up.
Still, it’s as likely that God of War Ragnarok releases in late summer/September as it does in the holiday, given Sony’s typical release approach. In fact, it would probably be more likely given Hogwarts Legacy’s holiday release date. God of War Ragnarok should still grace a State of Play ahead of release, so on the surface level, the June rumor makes sense the most.
God of War Ragnarok Accessibility Reveal
Of course, fans should take those rumors with a grain of salt, but there is another piece of the puzzle to factor in here. God of War Ragnarok has been incredibly silent in the past few months, even though one developer said it was still on track for 2022. Yet, out of left field, God of War Ragnarok revealed its accessibility features the other day.
Typically, Sony does not reveal accessibility options so far in advance—this ultimately bodes well for the push for better accessibility in the industry. There is a secondary effect, too. If accessibility reveals are generally close to release, even if this one is early, it does make sense for God of War Ragnarok to release sooner rather than late r. Soon obviously doesn’t mean tomorrow here, but late summer/September seems much more likely than November/December.
All of that aside, the big takeaway isn’t necessarily what God of War Ragnarok revealed, but the sheer fact that it revealed something. This is likely an indicator that God of War Ragnarok marketing is going to be picking up, revealing more and more in the coming weeks and month. God of War Ragnarok broke its silence, and the timing of that cannot be a coincidence.
God of War Ragnarok at a June State of Play?
The fact that God of War Ragnarok broke its silence amid these rumors speaks volumes. If a State of Play is happening in the first week of June, that announcement should be done in the next two weeks or so. Even if it is later in June, this still lines up. But if a State of Play happens soon, there’s a strong chance that it’s the next stop for God of War Ragnarok’s marketing. When/if Sony announces this, the hype for God of War Ragnarok’s presence there will be high, and for the first time in a long time, the chances of it being there are also high.
God of War Ragnarok is scheduled to release in 2022 for PS4 and PS5.