The polls are closed and your votes counted for the PlayStation Blog Game of the Year 2022. The winners of these awards, spanning 16 categories, have been shaped entirely by player choice. A thank you to everyone who voted and – given the strength of titles released in the past 12 months – were stuck with some difficult decisions to make. And of course, our thanks to all the studios whose games have helped define PlayStation’s 2022. 

Now, on to the winners! 

Best New Character

Thor | God of War Ragnarök

2022 wasn’t short of memorable performances and iconic figures. For every fan sketch of Elden Ring’s fearsome Malenia, there was a cat owner seeing characteristics of their own finely-furred companion in Stray’s feline lead. And despite both offering riveting performances, a masterclass in manipulation could not outclass the heft – and directness – of a hammer. Father lost out to son, as Thor places Mjölnir down to hold aloft the Platinum Trophy for this year’s Best New Character award. 

Cat | Stray

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Playing is believing when it comes to the DualSense Edge wireless controller for PlayStation 5. I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the ultra-customizable, high-performance controller, trying out multiple interchangeable pieces, on-console controller setting options, and tested everything out across a variety of games. The key takeaway — regardless of your overall experience with customizable controllers designed for precision play, the DualSense Edge controller experience combines premium construction with intuitive user options.

For a closer look at what inspired the controller’s form factor and customization options, we sat down with the minds who helped design it. Here’s a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the first-ever, highly customizable controller developed by PlayStation was created:

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High-quality case

The DualSense Edge controller comes with a sleek and sturdy shell-like case to keep your controller and its accessories safe and organized. One nice touch is the removable flap where the included braided USB charging cable can fit, allowing you to charge the controller while nestled within its case. 

Familiar form factor

The controller feels immediately familiar since PlayStation engineers set out to match the original DualSense controller’s shape and size. Close inspection of the DualSense Edge controller reveals subtle examples of its premium build quality, such as increased surface area for the grippy white plastic around the handles and extra texture on the touchpad and triggers. 

Adjustable trigger length

Players can adjust the length of the triggers with built-in switches for both R2 and L2 buttons. This makes on-the-fly customization easy, without needing to adjust any controller profile settings. One example from my time included jumping from God of War Ragnarök, where I wanted full range of the R2 button, to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, where clicking into a shorter trigger length helped me shoot faster.

Switchable stick caps

The DualSense Edge controller features three sets of stick caps that make quick customization easy. The two standard caps the same as the DualSense controller’s snappy sticks, while the sets of high and low dome caps offer a satisfying concave feel. I appreciated being able to swap in a high dome cap on the right analog stick, which provided a greater degree of finesse when taking aim in Call of Du

On a spring afternoon in 2016, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles during the E3 videogame event, I crossed the stage between a packed house and a symphonic orchestra, to conduct an original theme I had written that had never been heard publicly. Even before the game’s title was revealed, the audience experienced a sweeping, symphonic score featuring Nordic folk instruments, choir, and strong, melodic themes. After my overture, the curtains parted and a vision of an older Kratos stepped out of the shadows, announcing that a new entry in PlayStation’s blockbuster God of War series was on the horizon, one which aged the character and promised a more mature narrative. The game launched in 2018 to universal critical acclaim and fan enthusiasm, cementing the vengeful god Kratos and his son Atreus a place amongst the most beloved videogame characters of all time.

In the spring of 2019, I found myself again in the offices of Santa Monica Studio, for creative discussions regarding the game’s sequel, God of War Ragnarök. Here the game’s previous director, Cory Barlog, introduced me to this new game’s director, Eric Williams. Cory and Eric have worked together for years on this franchise, and I immediately sensed Eric’s shared passion for the material and depth of experience. Having read the script, the scale of God of War Ragnarök became clear. This ambitious sequel’s story expanded upon the intimate character drama between Kratos and his son Atreus by introducing at least a dozen new characters, across all nine realms of Nordic mythology. The set pieces and action scenes were even more bombastic, and yet, the dramatic arcs were every bit poignant as those from the first story. In order to musically support this ambitious new narrative, I would need to fill God of War Ragnarök with new musical themes. At the same time, they would need to be interwoven with my material from God of War (2018). 

For that original game, I had jumped into the score with enthusiastic abandon, ready to completely reinvent the sound of the franchise to fit this entry’s more sophisticated tone. However, this time, I felt the pressure of writing music in the shadow of my own previous work.  Gamers the world over had forged emotional connections to my musical themes, and my work had won several major videogame industry awards. The thought of expanding on these ideas –  and daring to think I might improve upon them – exhilarated and terrified me.

I began composing God of War Ragnarök in the summer of 2019, fully aware that I was at the onset of a journey that would be among the most creatively challenging of my career.

Warning: the following contains moderate spoilers for God of War Ragnarök 

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Last week, we asked you to head back to the Nine Realms and share epic God of War Ragnarök moments using the game’s newly released Photo Mode. After sifting through the action-packed shares tagged with  #PSshare #PSBlog, here are this week’s highlights: 

DotPone shares Kratos yelling while holding an ice charged Leviathan Axe.

crossedvisions shares Atreus standing on the edge of a structure in Helheim

sirevanztheduke shares Kratos swinging the Leviathan Axe at Thor in combat

discophotomode shares Angrboda tossing colored dust into the air

HazzaniVP shares A jellyfish-like Hafgufa floating over the lights of Alfheim.

NemesisNat shares Atreus drawing his bow surrounded by colorful lights

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Share of the Year
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on December 31, 2022

The end of 2022 is almost here, which means it’s time to look back on an epic year of gaming with Share of the Year. Share your favorite capture from the year using #PSshare #PSBlog by Dec 31 for a chance to be featured.

The year’s end is over the horizon, which means 2023 is about to begin. While 2022 has gone out with a god-sized bang thanks to God of War: Ragnarök, that doesn’t mean 2023 has nothing in store. The coming year is huge for PlayStation, stacked with a lineup of exciting releases. Whether you’ve been looking forward to the release of the ultra-customizable DualSense Edge controller, virtual reality adventures with PlayStation VR2, fantastical new IPs like Forspoken, or sequels to iconic titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, this year has something for you. While there’s a ton coming to PlayStation in 2023, this article aims to highlight a handful of the biggest things announced for 2023.

Note: This is a top-level article highlighting specific launches and is not meant to be comprehensive.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Speaking of Marvel’s Spider Man 2, let’s kick things off with some exciting news from developer Insomniac Games confirming the release window for the web-slinging sequel. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launches on PS5 in fall 2023.

Following the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the Spider-duo of Peter Parker and Miles Morales are back in the next blockbuster action chapter of the Marvel’s Spider-Man series. Much is still to be revealed about the game, and going off the quality of the past two titles, we’re bound to be in for a fantastic new original Spider-Man adventure.

Read on for a special message from Insomniac:

“What a year it’s been for PlayStation Studios; here at Insomniac Games we’ve been in absolute awe of the work of our peers. Congrats to everyone on a successful 2022… and here’s to next year being just as exciting as we continue to get Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ready for release next fall.”

– Bryan Intihar, Creative Director

Release Date: Fall 2023 | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | PS5

Now let’s dive into the more 2023 highlights for PlayStation.