Picture yourself stranded alone on an alien planet. With no-one around to help, and no-one coming to the rescue, your only salvation lies in the endless darkness of a sprawling cave system. Would you dare face the dangers that lurk in the dark?

Welcome to the world of Into Black, a VR action/exploration game about a deep space scavenger trying to repair his ship and escape a mysterious alien planet. You scour the caves for resources to upgrade your gear and rebuild your ship, all while fighting off hordes of deadly alien creatures.  

And while the game features a fully voice-acted story campaign, playable solo or in co-op with up to 3 friends, as well as a standalone battle royale mode, the true heart of Into Black is the sense of exploration as you navigate the darkness and uncover wonders and dangers beyond reckoning. 

PS VR2 owners will soon get to experience this sense of exploration first hand, but rest assured, this is no mere port. By utilising the power of the PS VR2 hardware, we’ve been able to reshape the world of Into Black into something truly next level. 

Let there be light

As the name implies, so much of Into Black is about the interplay of light and dark as they explore the underground expanse, so much so that one of the first items we give players is a torch. That exploration is now much more vivid and alive with the use of real-time shadows. 

Sweep your torch over a prowling insectoid grunt, and see its spider-like silhouette thrown up against the cave wall behind it. Observe inadvertent puppet shows as your co-op crewmates dash around, each with their own torch throwing its own shadows. The immersive feel of shadows stretching out and parallaxing along the ground as you pass by cave openings, swinging your torch side to side as you look for valuable resources, is second to none.

And of course, the other side of this equation is the darkness itself. New HDR lighting and volumetric effects, as well as the deeper blacks of the PS VR2 OLEDs, adds a richer sense of foreboding to the depths of the caves, and makes exploring them a true journey into the unknown.

The Devil is in the details

But what is the point of ultra-realistic lighting if there’s nothing to see when lit? That’s why the world of Into Black has also been given a full visual overhaul. 

Shadow Labyrinth is the forthcoming 2D action platformer from our team at Bandai Namco Studios where players will control Swordsman No.8, summoned to a mysterious planet by the enigmatic Puck to complete a mission where others have failed. The two will discover secrets and battle huge bosses in their struggle to survive. The concept of a dark Pac-Man game is bold new ground for the brand, delivering a unique experience that existing and new PAC players will be excited to dig into. Shadow Labyrinth emerges from the darkness on July 18.

Gamers may have noticed that Puck looks quite a bit like Pac-Man, and there’s the amazing visual of a huge foreboding and dark Pac-Man chomping down on the body of a downed foe. But Shadow Labyrinth’s inspiration from Pac-Man is more than skin deep, our team worked to build from the ground up with careful consideration of what it means to be a Pac-Man game.

The iconic maze is second only to Pac-Man himself when considering the core factors of a Pac game. We wanted to apply that principle to our game where the characters are just as important as the place where we find them. Arcade Pac-Man’s maze is immersive, and we wanted to bring that to life on a broader scale. The map of this mysterious planet when viewed zoomed out is itself a massive maze, and like the original Pac-Man, you must get familiar with the maze to best your enemies. The original arcade game’s maze was set upon a background of darkness, Shadow Labyrinth takes this one step further by having our story take place in the depths of outer space on a dark and mysterious planet where survival means tougher challenges in deeper levels. You either reach the end or are consumed trying.

When you approach a Pac-Man arcade machine you are greeted by a joystick, so we thought, controlling Pac-Man is quite simple, right? It’s just a joystick. But as you progress through each level the on-screen action of dodging Ghosts gets intense. Shadow Labyrinth gives players a variety of actions and weapons to use, but we wanted the player inputs to feel natural, not overwhelming – like that simple joystick. We also wanted to give the player as much choice as possible, letting them choose which direction they would like to explore first. Like original arcade Pac-Man, the action in Shadow Labyrinth gets seriously intense and we felt that an approachable control scheme and the flexibility to explore the directions they’re curious about would help deepen player immersion similar to the original arcade game.

There are in fact 3 modes of play in Shadow Labyrinth. Controlling Swordsman No.8 is all about weapon use and artfully dodging, and Mini Puck mode is all about exploring hidden and out of reach pathways. These in themselves feel very Pac-Man, but the 3^rd mode of play is effectively Shadow Labyrinth’s version of a Power Pellet: GAIA, the robotic giant with devastating force. Using GAIA, players can damage enemies that might have otherwise been too strong, break through barriers (a reference to the arcade game Super Pac

The Battle Royale map that started it all is back! Prepare to drop into Verdansk in a huge launch event celebrating the return of the map. Featuring authentic, back-to-basics gameplay with the latest in fan-favorite mechanics, there’s a wide variety of features coming to the game.

Season 3 begins on PS4 and PS5 with Multiplayer and Zombies content coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on April 2 at 9AM PT, followed by the launch of Verdansk in Call of Duty: Warzone  24 hours later on April 3 at 9AM PT.

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Verdansk, rebuilt from the ground up

Like we never left: 150 players. The original announcer. Shooting during freefall. Original Infil cinematics. All before you hit the ground running. 

Original game mechanics: Original Supply Boxes, Floating Loot, Armor Satchels and Buy Station menus, coupled with current Loadouts and Perks, with High Value Loot Zones across the map where some premium loot resides.

QOL updates: A variety of quality-of-life updates also hits Call of Duty: Warzone, including Squad Redeploys at Buy Stations, Attachment descriptions during Weapon Inspects, detailed death recaps in game, a HUD flag so you know exactly when your Loadout is available to buy, and more.

Game modes, events, rewards

Game modes

Play a variety of modes including returning favorites and new ones:

• Battle Royale
• Plunder Quads
• Bootcamp

Plus, get in on the brand-new Battle Royale Casual playlist at launch, featuring 28 players and up to 120 bots, the perfect arena to warm up before the main event.

Return to Verdansk launch event

Reassemble the Squad and drop back into your former stomping grounds for an exciting homecoming. The Return to Verdansk Event takes the form of a series of challenges scattered across 12 distinct zones within Verdansk. Crack all 12 safes to earn the infamous Kali Sticks melee weapon.

Protect the streets of Detroit, survive a family of horror icons, and turn digital detective with April’s PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup. RoboCop: Rogue City, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory will be available to PlayStation Plus members from April 1. 

Let’s take a closer look at the games. 

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RoboCop: Rogue City | PS5 

Become the legendary part man, part machine, all cop hero and bring justice to the dangerous, crime-ridden streets of Old Detroit. With your powerful Auto-9 or one of a range of weapons available, eradicate criminals thr

Gran Turismo players! Update 1.57* for Gran Turismo 7 available as of Wednesday, March 26 at 10:00pm PT / March 27 at 5:00am GMT / 2:00pm JST. 

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Three new cars added this month

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PlayStation Store’s Spring Sale begins tomorrow, Wednesday March 26. For a limited time* you can enjoy deep discounts of up to 75% off across a wide selection of games and add-ons. That includes Elden Ring (40% off), Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – Cross-Gen Bundle (30% off), Baldur’s Gate 3 (20% off) and many more*. 

What other games are included? Well, it’s a list so big we can’t fit everything in this PS Blog post, but we can give you an early preview of some of the titles which will feature below. When the promotion goes live tomorrow, head to PlayStation Store to discover the full lineup as well as your regional discount pricing.

• A Plague Tale: Innocence
• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
• Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – Season Pass
• ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN – TOP GUN: Maverick Ultimate Edition
• Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition
• Alan Wake Remastered
• Alien: Rogue Incursion
• Alone in the Dark – Digital Deluxe Edition
• Ambulance – Deluxe Edition
• Anno 1800
• Arizona Sunshine® 2 Deluxe Edition
• ARK: Survival Ascended
• Arken Age
• ARMORED CORE 6 ASIA/EU/NA
• ARMORED CORE 6 Deluxe Edition ASIA/EU/NA
• Assassin’s Creed Mirage – Standard Edition
• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – Season Pass
• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – Ultimate Edition
• Assassin’s Creed Origins
• Assassin’s Creed Origins – Gold Edition
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Complete Edition
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla PS4 & PS5
• Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla – Season Pass
• Assetto Corsa – Season Pass
• Assetto Corsa – Ultimate Edition
• Assetto Corsa Competizione
• Assetto Corsa Competizione PS5
• Astroneer
• Atomic Heart – Premium Edition
• Atomic Heart – Standard Edition
• Atomic Pass
• Avatar – Frontiers of Pandora
• Avatar – Season Pass
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Ultimate Edition
• Back 4 Blood: Standard Edition PS4 & PS5
• Back 4 Blood: Ultimate Edition PS4 & PS5
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
• Batman: Arkham Collection
• Batman: Arkham Knight
• Batman: Arkham Knight Season Pass
• Battlefield 1
• Battlefield 2042
• Battlefield 2042 (PS5)
• Battlefield 4: Premium Edition
• Battlefield V
• Bendy and the Ink Machine
• Bendy: Studio Collection
• Beyond the Dawn Edition
• Big Helmet Heroes – Base Game
• BioShock: The Collection
• Blasphemous 2
• Blasphemous 2 – Mea Culpa
• Bluey: The Videogame
• Bob’s Tall Tales
• BodyCamera Shooter
• Borderlands 3 PS4™ & PS5™
• Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition PS4™ & PS5™
• Borderlands Ultimate Edition DLC (SP1/SP2)
• Brothers Remake
• Builders Beach and Ball Clothing Pack
• Bully (Canis Canem Edit)
• Burnout Paradise Remastered
• Call of Duty Black Ops 6
• Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – Gold Edition
• Call of Duty: Ghosts – Gold Edition
• Call of Duty

It’s been nearly one month since the release of Monster Hunter Wilds on PlayStation 5! Thank you to all hunters around the world for your incredible support. Whether you’re a series veteran with many hunts under your belt, or started your hunting journey with Wilds, we hope you’ve been enjoying making your way through the game and putting in many hours of hunts in High Rank, long after the credits have rolled.

Today, we’re excited to share what’s next for Monster Hunter Wilds by taking the wraps off of the game’s first Free Title Update: 

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The graceful Leviathan Mizutsune makes its way to the Wilds

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There’s more to being a Hobbit than fleeing for your life and trying to survive increasingly hostile environments. This is why Wētā Workshop invites you to a taste of adventure that’s a little more… wholesome. I had a cozy chat with Stephen Lambert, Tales of the Shire: A Lord of The Rings Game creative director, to dig a bit deeper into why this particular Hobbit hole will feel like a home away from home when it launches on PS5 on July 29.

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How would you describe the main pillars of gameplay in Tales of the Shire?

Stephen Lambert: So much of the game is about community. We’ve got four main areas that we focus on while living your idyllic life as a Hobbit: how you spend your time cooking, gardening, fishing, and doing peaceful activities.

The other aspect is exploring the village of Bywater, so looking around the environment and discovering little secret moments and lovely little glades and areas to hang out within the world.

And then there are obviously the tales within the community. So getting to meet new people and help them along their journeys.

How important is relationship building in terms of progression?

It’s pretty important. Every thread of the story is going to help you not only expand what’s available to you as a player, but also broaden the depth of the characters and storylines. But you can explore the game at your own pace. So you can either dive deep into those stories or just live out your own little life along the side. It’s all about enhancing your feeling of peace and tranquillity.

Can you go into more detail about the game’s shared meals?

With meals being a central p

Last week, we asked you to focus your lens on the various monsters of Monster Hunter Wilds using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

shimo_ps shares their hunter taking on an Arkveld in the desert

xenobitz shares a Lala Barina in the dark forest

SyrenSigh shares a slimy Nu Udra

Lny_Trpr_EE7 shares an angry long-horned Rey Dau

Photoingame shares a Guardian Rathalos

LeeeshP shares a Arkveld attacking in a cave

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: Assassin’s Creed Shadows
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 26, 2025 

Next week, leap into Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and share epic moments of Naoe and Yasuke exploring feudal Japan using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Hello, Rovers! I’m excited to share new information on upcoming Wuthering Waves content on behalf of the entire dev team. Cross-platform open-world ARPG Wuthering Waves has been live on PS5, with support for data-sharing across PS5, PC, and mobile devices, offering a seamless gaming experience on different platforms. With the new version 2.2 Tangled Truth in Inverted Tower set to launch on March 26, the game will introduce new characters, maps, gameplays, and more content—plus, players will receive a free 5-Star weapon as a reward for completing the Main Quest.

New main quest: Venture into Avinoleum to unveil the truth behind Cartethyia and Sentinel

In reflection on the story of version 2.0, the mysterious girl Cartethyia and the missing Imperator harbor deep secrets that remain to be uncovered. The upcoming version 2.2 will feature the new Main Quests: The Maiden, The Defier, and The Death Crier. This adventure kicks off at Beohr Waters, located behind Porto-Veno Castle, and leads Rover to an inverted region in mid-air known as Avinoleum—an exploration that uncovers the past. The history of Rinascita and the truth about Sentinel will gradually come to light within this inverted seminary. During the quest, rovers can obtain the 5-Star Sword Bloodpact’s Pledge for free.

New Resonator-Cantarella & Rover: Aero

The new 5-Star Resonator Cantarella, known as the 36th Lead of the Fisalia family, will debut in version 2.2. As a Havoc Resonator armed with a Rectifier, she embodies the deep-sea and poisonous themes that define her family. In combat, Cantarella wields her umbrella, launching attacks with the aid of highly toxic jellyfish. Her unique attack method allows her to gather a special energy Trance. Once she harnesses this energy, executing heavy attacks on the ground can trigger the Mirage state, creating a surreal effect reminiscent of an underwater realm. When Cantarella consumes her Forte Gauge for attacks against foes, she can heal all team members. When certain conditions are met, her Resonance Skill can hinder enemy movement. Upon activating Resonance Liberation, she can carry out coordinated attacks for an extended duration, while her Outro Skill amplifies damage for both Havoc and Resonance Skills for the incoming Resonators.