Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege of connecting with talented game developers from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through the PlayStation MENA Hero Project. This initiative was launched with a simple goal: to identify and support original voices and empower creators from emerging regions to tell their stories through games.

Today, we’re thrilled to announce the first cohort of titles supported under the MENA Hero Project, each one a unique reflection of the creativity, and spirit of developers in the region.

The First Cohort of MENA Hero Project Games

Red Bandits | Developer: Team Agenda | Country: Saudi Arabia

Red Bandits is a fast-paced robbery action game set in a hyper-capitalist age where one company rules the world through complete monopoly. In this world, a newly formed thieves organization known as the Red Bandits, emerges to challenge the system and spark a rebellion. You play as Stutt, a seasoned old thief with a stuttering condition and a mysterious past he can’t fully remember.

Break into the company’s fortified floors, take down the powerful board of directors, and bring back a de-monopolized world order. With a dynamic cover system, evolving heists, and a vibrant comrades’ hideout, Red Bandits blends fast, stylish action with a deeply personal story of rebellion.

Robbing its way to PS5 and PC.

Enci’s Solution | Developer: Dark Emerald | Country: United Arab Emirates

Exiled by humans centuries ago, the Aeons are confined to the desolate underground. Their village is safe, but beyond the gates, danger lurks at every corner, and not everyone can be trusted. No one has left the village before, except for Ji’we.

Inspired by techno-dystopian aesthetics, Enci’s Solution is a hand-painted, 2.5D narrative platformer following the story of Ji’we, a young Aeon venturing out into the unknown in an attempt to save his dearest friend. Stumbling upon Enci, a lost encyclopedic robot who finds himself far from home, the two form an unusual bond and set out together to the surface of planet Regalia. 

Play through 40+ levels with increasing difficulty and explore uncharted territories. Find collectibles and uncover the secrets they carry about the world and its odd inhabitants. Keep an eye out for hidden levels and challenge yourself to think outside the box.

Will you find your solution on PS5 and PC?

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Last week, we asked you to share moments from Senua’s harrowing journey in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

UkFemshep shares the top half of Senua’s head peeking out from water.

Photoingame shares a black and white profile shot of Senua looking up.

MdeavorVP shares Senua raising her torch in a field of darkness

LastGlass_VP shares a head-on portrait of Senua with ceremonial face paint and symbols.

JarrinWasHere shares a dual-toned side profile of Senua

Keng_console shares a macro shot of Senua’s wide-open eye

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Sword of the Sea
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on August 27, 2025 

Next week, grab your sword! Share moments bringing sea life back to the deserts of Sword of the Sea (a recent August Game Catalog title) using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

The official start of the season may be two months away, but basketball is back with NBA 2K26 hitting PS5 and PS4 September 5. The latest entry brings a new gameplay system powered by machine learning, studying today’s superstars, and fun pick-up and play options. 2K invited me to go hands-on with the game  before it launches September 5 on PS5, and I’m here to share what I learned on the court.

Also launching starting on September 5 in select markets is the PlayStation 5 Console – NBA 2K26 Bundle. Read on for full details

Better ball

2K26 puts considerable effort into improving both sides of the floor, with notable offensive and defensive enhancements. New machine-learning technology helps capture the fundamentals of the game. While playing, I noticed players would run and get set by firmly planting their feet, instead of a gliding effect. While driving into the paint, they would also stop and accurately respond to a defender in their lane. These details add a realistic weight to the sport.

Enhanced Rhythm Shooting

You can still flick down-up on the right analog stick or simply press square to start your shooting motion, then release at the correct timing for the individual player’s shoot release. However, now the tempo of the play, like in real life, affects your shot. When a good defender bogged me down, I could quickly release my shot and intentionally release it early for a decisive bucket. With a high basketball IQ, any shot has the potential to be a good shot. 

Defensive battles

Players can swing a game in their favor if the shots aren’t falling, thanks to new improvements centered around real-world tactics. Around the player’s feet, you will see new Rebound Timing Feedback as a green meter that will flash to indicate a well-timed rebound. Learning Chet Holmgren’s rebound timing made me nearly unstoppable under the rim and made me focus on an aspect of the game I had neglected before. 

Collisions and interior defense both benefit from a revamped system-driven tech that allows for more real-time interactions instead of scripted mocap animations. If you want to stop a fast break or crowd the lane, players will stop, adjust, and even collide realistically. The game rewards paying attention to the action when the ball isn’t in your hand.

Arena atmosphere

The devs also upgraded the game spectacle during downtime and timeouts with new crowd variety, interactions, and on-court performances. Cheerleader routines and mascot antics are fun, but my favorite by far was the dance cam. These moments captured the feel of attending a game live and the sense of community that attending a sporting event can create.

MyTEAM updates 

MyTEAM has received a significant remodel with Triple Threat Park turning Sunset Beach into a nighttime venue. Players are greeted with neon lights, fireworks, and other details that can only be appreciated after dark. Pulling cards and collecting players has also become an even bigger spectacle with dramatic reveals and added flair.  

It’s been over two decades since Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was first released on PlayStation 2. The game was praised for its story, characters, and possibly one of the greatest themes in video game history. After some brumation, it sheds its skin and emerges as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on August 28, aiming to recapture the spirit that made the original a beloved classic. After about eight hours of playing the game on PS5 Pro, I’m thrilled to share how it captures and modernizes the original’s spirit, and then some.

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Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, launching August 28 on PlayStation 5, is a remake of the 2004 PlayStation 2 classic, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. I had a conversation with the developers during a Tokyo press event to discuss the upcoming remake and its development process. 

Faithfully replicating the thrill and impact of the original

PlayStation Blog: How important was it to your team to create a game that stayed true to the original?

Noriaki Okamura (Metal Gear Series Producer): We began this project with the intention of bringing a 20-year-old game to the present day. While we updated the graphics and certain game mechanics to ensure today’s players could fully enjoy the experience, we wanted to stay true to the original as much as possible.

What challenges did your team face during development, and what specific adjustments were implemented?

Okamura: I had no intention of altering the original story, so I insisted that we can just update the game graphics. Korekado disagreed and warned me that that approach will not work, but I initially had the team re-create the game just with new character models. Although the graphics improved, they appeared doll-like and unrealistic, so I finally realized that my plan was inadequate.

Yuji Korekado (Creative Producer): We began by reworking the animation and game mechanics. We implemented animation programming that didn’t exist two decades ago to make the game more realistic, but that also meant we couldn’t reproduce the original game mechanics. Metal Gear is a stealth game, so it’s crucial for players to be able to make precise movements. We put in a lot of effort to replicate the same feel as the original, while maintaining realism.

Are there any areas of the game that you wanted to recreate as faithfully as possible?

Korekado: We made sure that the jungle looked as realistic as possible. We devoted a lot of time modeling every fine detail like leaves, grass, and moss covering the ground. Since the perspective shifts along with the character’s movements, players will get a closer look at the ground when they’re crouching or crawling. To make sure the environment was immersive from every angle, we carefully crafted every element with great precision.

Have any enhancements been made compared to the original PS2 version?

Korekado: We enhanced the visuals to be more intuitive. Thanks to increased memory and much faster spe

Hello everyone! Before unveiling what we’ve prepared for PC players when Lost Soul Aside hits PC and PS5 on August 29, I want to share the journey that brought us here.

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We love summer music festivals, so here at Wargaming, our team at World of Tanks Modern Armor has made it a mission to bring you a hard-rockin’ annual music event that truly shakes the battlefield: Metal Fest.

New tanks, new 3D Commanders, new Challenges and events: they’re all part of what Metal Fest offers each summer. But this is our third year of the event, coming to you on PS4 and PS5 starting August 26. We knew we had to go bigger and louder than ever.

To borrow some lyrics you might know, we wanted the best—and we got the best.

This year, our featured act is none other than the legendary band Kiss! Not only that; we’ve got the actual voices of core members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in the game.

This is how it all shook out. 

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Rev your engines, racers, there’s new Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds news that just dropped at Gamescom. Over the past few days, Sonic has dominated the newsfeeds with not one, but two trailer drops, featuring huge reveals. 

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Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment. As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. starting on August 21.

The updated recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. are as follows:

• PlayStation 5 – $549.99
• PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – $499.99
• PlayStation 5 Pro – $749.99

The recommended retail prices for PlayStation 5 accessories remain unchanged, and we have no other price changes to announce for additional markets.

I’m Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz, Creative Director at Rebel Wolves, working on The Blood of Dawnwalker — a story-driven, open-world RPG set in 14th-century Europe. We recently showcased a closer look at the gameplay at gamescom and wanted to share some of the exciting new details with you.

Entering the narrative sandbox

You play as Coen, the game’s protagonist and the titular Dawnwalker. While the exact circumstances remain a mystery, an attempt to turn Coen into a vampire fails. As a result, he exists between two worlds — human during the day, vampire at night. This duality sits at the heart of the gameplay, with each form offering distinct skills and abilities. Most quests can be approached during either day or night, creating significantly different experiences.

One of the key mechanics is what we call the “narrative sandbox.” Once the prologue concludes, you have 30 days and nights to rescue Coen’s family from Brencis, a centuries-old vampire and former Roman senator, and his inner circle. Only major actions move the clock forward, and you’re always informed how much time an activity will consume. Roaming the open world does not advance time, giving you the freedom to explore without pressure. Time works more like a currency than a countdown.

What truly defines the narrative sandbox is the freedom it gives you to shape the story on your own terms. Quests can be completed in any order, skipped entirely, or even never discovered at all depending on your choices. Many characters can be killed, with their absence reshaping events and relationships. There are often multiple paths to achieve the same goal, and even inaction is a choice — one the world around Coen will recognize and respond to. The result is a deeply reactive narrative structure that encourages experimentation and makes every playthrough unique.

Human by day. Vampire by night.

The newly revealed quest takes place on day eight of Coen’s journey. By then, several quests have been completed and Coen is visibly more powerful. We first see him at night, navigating the capital city of Svartrau and using vampiric abilities like Shadowstep — a short-range teleport that lets him instantly reposition. It’s invaluable not only in combat, allowing him to flank enemies or close the gap on patrolling guards, but also for exploration and stealth.

With Shadowstep, Coen can reach scaffolding high on the cathedral’s walls, leap between rooftops, or slip into otherwise inaccessible balconies an