We here at CD PROJEKT RED are so excited for the launch of the Edgerunners Update — and with our first-ever anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners coming hot on its heels (September 13th!), we thought this would be the perfect time to share some additional insights about what the two releases have in common. Trust me, it’s more than just the name.

In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, we first meet David Martinez when he’s just a down-on-his-luck street kid peddling black market braindances (XBDs) to help him and his mother Gloria get by. Her bright yellow jacket — which is passed down to David — becomes a visual cornerstone of the anime, so it’s no surprise that we chose to include it in the latest update.

Franchise & Lore Designer Patrick Mills, who worked on selecting the items that would make it from the anime into Cyberpunk 2007, agrees: 

“David’s jacket was an obvious choice, as it’s an iconic element of the anime that has a lot of meaning to it. We’re excited for people to pick up the item in-game and feel connected to the story of the anime in a tactile way. For people who haven’t seen the anime, I hope they enjoy it as a cool new jacket to wear around town and pose with in Photo Mode, but for people who watch the anime and know the backstory, it’s my hope that it’s another bridge between the world of the show and the world of the game.”

This Legendary level item becomes an even greater catch thanks to the introduction of the Wardrobe, our transmog system. Dropping a piece of stylish gear for something with better armor always hurts, but now players can dress for the dark future without sacrificing their builds.

The jacket isn’t the only thing left lying around after David’s explosive and bloody time in Night City. Players can also discover a new weapon — a shotgun named “Guts” that packs a powerful real-world punch thanks to DualSense’s Adaptive Triggers functionality introduced in the previous next-gen update. Combining the two worlds in a thoughtful and organic way, from the item descriptions to the dialogue, was at the forefront of our minds as we planned this update.

Writer Rafał Babraj was clear about his approach from the beginning:

“We wanted to embed the characters and story from the anime in our game as immersively as possible, and I think we found a cool narrative way of doing that. But we also wanted to make it a bit mysterious, teasing just enough of the anime to ignite the curiosity of players and push them to discover what happened to David and his crew in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. We took into consideration the personalities of the anime characters and tried to reflect that in the way they communicate in-game, or in the descriptions of the items that belonged to them.”

Babraj also teased that, “These may be two different stories, but V and David actually have a lot in common — what exactly that is, players and viewers will have to discover for themselves!”

Players can also expect a brand-new quest, one that leads to David’s jacket and ties the two worlds together properly. Quest Director Paweł Sasko worked with his team to make sure that the game and anime fit together:

“Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners share the same, fascinating, dystopian world, but there are obvious differences in the graphic style of the two, so we had to come up with exciting and logical solutions on how to tie them t

In 2020, Sony Group established a $100 million Global Social Justice Fund to support social justice and anti-racist initiatives around the world. As part of Sony Group, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has committed more than $11 million in total to advance race equity within the gaming industry and beyond.

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Through SIE’s Social Justice Initiative and our PlayStation Career Pathways, we’re supporting organizations and efforts focused on strengthening educational and career opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities. Our objective is to drive a new era of creativity, development and growth in the gaming industry that allows for more diversity and representation. 

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Today, I’m excited to share an update on our PlayStation Career Pathways partnerships and SIE’s Social Justice Fund portfolio as we continue our efforts to drive change – locally, nationally, and globally. This is just another step as we’ll continue to strive to make Sony Interactive Entertainment and the video game industry more diverse, inclusive, and accessible. 

Since day one, First Contact Entertainment has been focused on bringing quality experiences to virtual reality, and our team has always believed in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Which is why now, after four years of support for Firewall Zero Hour, we are proud to announce that we’ll be pushing those boundaries once again with our next live-operated first-person multiplayer shooter for PlayStation VR2, Firewall Ultra.  

Firewall Ultra is the next evolution in the Firewall franchise. We’re taking advantage of the new features that the PS VR2 has to offer, and we’re excited to give you a sneak peek into how we’ve used some of those features for Firewall Ultra.  

Set 5 years after the original game, the contractors and locations you’ve grown to love have evolved and moved into the next generation. Since PS VR2 offers a much higher level of visual fidelity with 4K HDR, we’ve completely remade all character models. The maps have also seen a complete overhaul, with new areas and new textures. There will also be new locations and contractors, but it wouldn’t be a Firewall game without the weaponry and equipment, which also feature a much deeper level of customization.  

We’ve been listening to our community over the past four years, and we’re proud to announce that you’ll be playing Firewall Ultra on dedicated servers. We’re also adding rounds to the game, so each match will now be the best of three, and we’re adding an entirely new PvE experience. Plus, we have future content planned post-launch such as new contractors, maps, and weapons. 

On top of all that, Firewall Ultra utilizes new PlayStation VR2 Sense Technology features like eye tracking, which enables you to intuitively swap weapons and bring up HUD indicators through cameras built into the PS VR2 headset. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out our announcement trailer for a first look of what’s on the horizon for Firewall Ultra.  

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Finally, we’d like to thank all our wonderful community members. From meetups to international tournaments, the community for Firewall Zero Hour far surpassed any of our expectations. Fo

Bring a fresh, unique aesthetic into play with the new Gray Camouflage Collection coming to the PS5 family of accessories. Adding to the previously released galaxy-inspired color lineup, the Gray Camouflage Collection features a matching set of accessories with the DualSense wireless controller, PS5 console covers for both the PS5 with the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive and the PS5 Digital Edition, and Pulse 3D wireless headset.*

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The PlayStation design team reimagined our camouflage pattern to reflect a fresher, more contemporary feel. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the iconic PlayStation Shapes have been subtly incorporated into the pattern.

The Gray Camouflage Collection will be available starting this fall, with pre-orders beginning September 15. The DualSense wireless controller and PS5 console covers will launch globally on October 14, followed by the launch of the Pulse 3D wireless headset in December. The exact launch dates for the collection may vary by location, so be sure to check your local retailer for availability.

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Return to the Borderlands in the raucous New Tales from the Borderlands. The upcoming choice-based, narrative adventure developed by Gearbox Software is set to launch on October 21.

This all new story brings fresh and familiar faces, new settings, and an original, captivating story while keeping the sci-fi aesthetic and irreverent humor that Borderlands fans have come to know and love. Carrying on the same spirit of adventure as the original 2014 fan-favorite from Telltale, New Tales from the Borderlands is an unforgettable single-player experience. 

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In New Tales from the Borderlands, players take control of three loveable losers, Anu, Octavio, and Fran, guiding them through an epic adventure full of ruthless corporations, terrifying creatures, and talking guns. Discover new and familiar locations in the Borderlands universe, along with a host of compelling characters. 

After a series of unfortunate events, our three underdogs find themselves uniquely positioned to open a Vault and use its otherworldly contents to create a universe-changing technology. In their rush to market, they’ll have to face local competitors, corporate takeover attempts, and galactic mysteries. Turns out, nothing in the Borderlands is more deadly than starting a business.

Our heroes all have their own unique stories:

• Anuradha Dhar – In a universe run by gun corporations, Anu is a do-gooder who dreams of a world where no one has to kill to get ahead. She can see complex calculus, probabilities and solve puzzles with her Tech Glasses. Although she might be uncomfortable in social settings, she has no problem solving problems. 

• Octavio Wallace Dhar – Anu’s adopted brother, Octavio, is a hustler with a heart of gold who dreams of making it big on the planet of Promethea. According to him, he’s Meridian City’s most popular citizen with a long list of contacts to back it up. His ability to access information is like no other, and he is looking for his moment to strike gold.

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This week the team fields some listener letters on precious Platinum trophy achievements, plus an interview with Dylan Cuthbert of Q-Games on The Tomorrow Children: Phoenix Edition.

Stuff We Talked About

• The Last of Us Part I
• Steelrising
• Post Void
• The Tomorrow Children: Phoenix Edition (interview begins at 14:00)
• God of War
• Cult of the Lamb
• Bloodborne
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga Collection

The Cast

Sid Shuman –  – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE

Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE

Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE

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Last week, we asked you to find duality in games and share paired up moments using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s reflective highlights:

lunar9p shares the dual-ended lightsaber from Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order.

scottoka1 shares Cloud and Sephiroth butting heads in Final Fantasy VII Remake.

call_me_xavii shares some interesting artwork from Cyberpunk 2077.

Sefwick shares two cars ready to race in Gran Turismo Sport.

LukeKasinger shares Ellie and Joel sharing a touching moment in The Last of Us Part II.

LorenMeoww shares Jesse facing off against another version of herself in Control.

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: The Last of Us Part I
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on September 7, 2022

Next week, we’re joining Joel and Ellie on their journey through The Last of Us Part I. Share daring moments from the rebuilt classic using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

We saw lots of new games in August, with a strong lineup of quality indies keeping players entertained throughout the month. Which new release will take the Players’ Choice crown? Vote in the poll below to help decide!

How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year.

What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Demon’s Souls and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will.

How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted.

If given a chance to improve on what many consider perfection, how would you do so? That’s the question Naughty Dog faced when rebuilding the PlayStation 3 classic, The Last of Us. This prospect presented the celebrated developer with one of its toughest challenges yet: incorporate the sum of every creative and technical improvement learnt over the course of their almost-40 year development career. With such massive expectations, from inside Naughty Dog and out, the team set out to do what they do best: exceed expectations.

The studio’s various teams detailed the changes you’ll experience in the game with an extensive development deep-dive, covering combat animation, lighting, audio, and more. But today, as the title launches worldwide, individuals from those teams reflect on how they chose to answer that question and what that meant for them personally as creators. 

The guiding principle

“How do we take the most beloved game we’ve ever made and rebuild it?” This is the question Naughty Dog Creative Director and Writer Shaun Escayg and the team asked themselves. His personal philosophy became a major pillar for the developers from the beginning: “We build on it. We double down on areas we thought would heighten the experience or get deeper into the storytelling of it, taking all our abilities and skill and applying them faithfully to this rebuild. Just reimagine everything, heighten all the moments, and sell it even more to the player. That was the goal, our guiding light, and the challenge at the same time.”

This was the North Star Naughty Dog followed when rebuilding The Last of Us for a new generation of hardware. Each team involved in this rebuild had a tremendous task on its shoulders and took a different approach when answering that challenge. 

Emphasizing emotion through lighting 

For Art Director Erick Pangilinan and the visual departments, it meant a journey back to 2013 and thoroughly studying the original game. 

“We tried to identify the most important scenes, storylines, and events in the game that we should focus on to make sure that it maximizes the impact on the game,” Pangilinan explains. “Prioritizing and figuring out how we can pace all of these important moments is the first thing to do, to analyze the original game better and better understand it. That’s when you start formulating how you can emphasize that. What are all the lessons we learned from doing The Last of Us Part II, and how can we apply that to something we did with ourselves ten years ago?”

“What are all the lessons we learned from doing The Last of Us Part II, and how can we apply that to something we did with ourselves ten years ago?”

– Art Director Erick Pangilinan

Many members across the teams involved in the project share similar accounts of how their process meant countless side-by-side comparisons to keep the rebuild faithful to the original. Concept Artist Sebastian Gromann discussed how the team’s challenge was

The PlayStation team is thrilled to partner with Red Bull for the second year of their virtual photography competition, Red Bull Capture Point. After the success of last year’s competition, Red Bull Capture Point is going global by welcoming additional markets to participate in 2022, allowing budding photographers from nine countries to submit their snaps for the chance to attend a one-off exhibition in New York City and a chance to win some incredible PlayStation and Red Bull prizes. Excited already? For more information on rules & prizes check out the competition page redbull.com/capturepoint.

Games are the ultimate visual medium, giving every player the chance to see fantastic worlds from their own unique perspectives. From exploring futuristic landscapes to driving vehicles you’d never get your hands on in real life, there are so many experiences that games can offer that simply wouldn’t be possible. As technology has improved, so too has people’s abilities to capture these worlds and experiences through photo modes and in-game screenshots – the best of which will be celebrated in Red Bull Capture Point.

This year, we’re asking creatives to showcase their skills in Guerrilla’s stunning open-world adventure Horizon Forbidden West and Polyphony Digital’s gorgeous racing sim Gran Turismo 7* – two of the most visually arresting games to come to PlayStation consoles. We’re looking for beautifully arranged shots – so get snapping and show us your best!

Aspiring photographers can submit captures in four categories, with each one representing a different theme. There will also be an overall Best in Show winner for each region. Each category will be open for a two-week period and will have its own unique requirements, which will be shared on Red Bull Gaming social media and the competition website a few days before entries open. More information on categories & submission timelines can be found on redbull.com/capturepoint. Entries will be open from September 5 to October 30. To enter, gamers must share their screenshots to Twitter via the PlayStation Network, using the official Red Bull Capture Point hashtag which will vary by region.

To pick the winners, a panel of expert judges will rank submissions per category based on interpretation of the theme, the technical execution, and the uniqueness of the concept. Alongside this, the best entries will be hand-selected by several significant personalities in the virtual photography scene, including Kate Reed (@kaytanaa, U.S.), Petri Lev Alahti (@Berduu, Sweden), and lead judge Mik Bromely (@TheFourthFocus, U.S.).

One Best in Show winner from each country, in total nine, will be invited to an exhibition in New York City, with an all-expenses paid trip which will include workshops with professional photographers to enhance their skills.

Winners will also receive an incredible Red Bull prize pack, including a PlayStation 5 console, official peripherals, and more goodies.

Red Bull Capture Point is open to aspiring photographers in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States, and Sweden. To see the submission, entry process for your respective country, detailed info on the list of categories and full terms and conditions, head over to the official competition page at redbull.com/capturepoint.

Good luck and have fun!

*Gran Turismo 7: Internet connection required for features shown. Game progression required to access most vehicles.