The past couple of years have been rather quiet forPlayStation’stentpole first-party releases. 2023 saw the launch of Insomniac Games’Spider-Man 2, andPlayStationwent the entirety of 2024 without releasing a major AAA first-party game.Astro BotandHelldivers 2turned out surprise phenomenons, of course, but they weren’t positioned as $70 blockbusters likeGod of WarandHorizon. 2022 has featured PlayStation’s best first-party lineup this console generation so far, with heavy hitters likeGran Turismo 7,Horizon Forbidden West,God of War Ragnarok, andThe Last of Us Part 1all releasing within the year.
So far, 2025 looks to be on the lighter side for PS5 first-party games as well, with onlyGhost of Yoteiconfirmed for launch on October 2.Death Stranding 2: On the Beachis another major PS5 exclusive for 2025, but it technically isn’t a full-blown first-party game since theDeath StrandingIP belongs to developer Kojima Productions. There are murmurings of aGod of Warside project that’s slated for launch later this year, but it’s yet to be officially confirmed. This begs the question of what 2026 could hold for fans of PlayStation’s first-party games.
PlayStation’s 2026 Game Lineup is Poised to Be One of Its Best Yet for the PS5 Generation
Sony is very secretive about what PlayStation’s in-house studios are working on, and the reveal-to-release timeline for PS5 first-party games is usually pretty unpredictable, too. For instance,Astro Botwas unveiled in May 2024, just four months before its September 2024 launch, whereasGhost of Yoteibroke cover in September 2024 and is set to launch just over one year later. Moreover,Naughty Dog revealedIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetin December 2024with no indication of when the game will be released. However, there are a few PlayStation first-party games that seem primed for 2026 launches.
Rumors suggestIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetwon’t be out before 2027.
Housemarque’s Saros is the Only PS5 First-Party Game Confirmed for 2026 So Far
Just a few months ago, Housemarque formally announced its next game,Saros, at PlayStation’s inaugural State of Play for 2025.Sarosis a brand-new IPthat builds upon the highly acclaimed roguelike mechanics of Housemarque’s 2021 hitReturnal. However,Saroswill feature a key gameplay distinction in that resources and progression will be retained after each run. Housemarque also confirmed an “ensemble NPC cast” forSaros, hinting at a greater narrative focus, whileReturnalwas more isolated in that regard.Sarosis scheduled to launch in 2026, and Housemarque will show off gameplay later this year.
Haven Studios' Fairgames May Finally Launch Next Year
Fairgamesis the debut title of nascent PlayStation team Haven Studios. Formed byAssassin’s Creedveteran Jade Raymond and acquired by Sony in 2022, Haven Studios revealedFairgamesduring the 2023 PlayStation Showcase as a live-service PvP heist game, where players compete in teams to steal from billionaires and the like. The cinematic trailer didn’t provide much information aboutFairgames' gameplay mechanics, nor did Haven confirm a release window. However, rumors have alleged thatFairgamesis internally targeting a 2026 release. Should that be true, new details aboutFairgamesmight drop later this year.
There’s Reason to Believe Insomniac’s Wolverine is Coming in 2026
Inarguably the Sony first-party title that’s most overdue for more news, Insomniac’sMarvel’sWolverinewas announced during the 2021 PlayStation Showcase and has gone nearly four years without a meaningful update. Pre-alpha footage ofWolverine, as well as story details and casting info, did leak online in late 2023 as part of the devastating Insomniac data breach. Alongside these,Insomniac’s entire game roadmap for the next decadealso leaked, whichpeggedWolverinefor a 2026 launch. It remains to be seen if the data breach impactedWolverine’s release schedule, but 2026 shouldn’t be ruled out for now.
Could PlayStation Have a Surprise or Two Up Its Sleeve?
WhileSaros,Wolverine, andFairgamescomprise a robust first-party trio, it’s worth taking a look at somerumored PlayStation projectsthat could join them in 2026. Chief among these is another live-service title - aHorizonco-op multiplayer gamethat has been in development at Guerrilla Games for several years. Given the amount of time theHorizonco-op game has been in the works, it wouldn’t be unfathomable for Guerrilla to be targeting launch next year, if not 2025 itself.
Additionally,Horizon: Call of the MountainandThe Persistencedeveloper Firesprite has long beenrumored to be developingUntil Dawn 2. The new ending sequences in 2024’sUntil Dawnremake also tease a story continuation, further lending credence to the prospect of a sequel for the horror game. With summer approaching and lots of publishers and platform holders gearing up to reveal new games, one can only hope that PlayStation will hold a full-blown Showcase and give fans some clarity for 2026 and beyond.
