Last week, we blasted off into a new adventure with Astro Bot, and asked you to share your favorite moments using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
Boargsshares Astro leading a pack of bots across the Crash Site.
i3ecci_ shares Astro riding down some colorful railing into a level.
AutomotiveVPshares Astro in a gold costume cheering at the end of the casino level.
kunai_kirika shares small mouse Astro being observed by a cat bot.
HazzaniVP shares a full portrait of Astro facing forward.
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: Astro Bot – Abilities SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on September 18, 2024
Next week, we’re showing off Astro Bot’s many abilities and power-up suits. Share action-packed moments utilizing his special abilities using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
The Plucky Squire will leap from the page to PlayStation 5 on September 17, and one of the many magical places you’ll visit on your adventures is the colorful city of Artia, the creative capital of the land of Mojo.
Artia is the home of Jot’s best friend, Violet, and is full of all types of artists, some of whom you might recognize.
Shortly after arriving in the city, you’ll meet Rola Lightbrush, Violet’s proud mum, who informs the crew that Violet’s Uncle Umber has gotten himself into a pickle; his roly-poly Rubboinks have escaped! The gang offers to help and begins searching the city.
Jot and his friends quickly set about securing Uncle Umber’s pesky pigs, but they’ll need to uncover a portal lurking beneath the stubborn backside of a resident artist’s pet pooch in order to complete the task.
Jot springs from the book to find the tool he needs to return Uncle Umber’s final piggy. Navigating the desk is easier said than done, however, with more and more of Humgrump’s minions manifesting in the real world.
Finally, Jot ascends to the puzzling Toy House to find his prize: The Turn Gauntlets! Once acquired, Jot can tilt the book to manipulate the characters inside, including one extra-large Rubboink…
Artia is just one of many magical locations you’ll discover on the pages of The Plucky Squire. You can experience this dimension-hopping adventure for yourself when the game launches on PS5 on September 17 as part of PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium.
Will brave Jot be able to defeat the wicked Humgrump and restore peace to the land of Mojo? The fate of the realm is in your hands.
Helldivers, when you’re on the warfront, emptying magazines into hordes of Terminids, do you ever feel like you’re a space bug exterminator? I know I do and that’s why I’m really excited to tell you about our next Warbond*: Chemical Agents! This one has some seriously deadly toys.
I’ll start with everyone’s favorite part of a Warbond: the offensive gear. The first thing a Terminid exterminator needs is a good, high-pressure sprayer. The TX-41 Sterilizer is the tool of the trade, ready to spray down the threat with chemical gas.
A literal spray and pray with the TX-41 Sterilizer.
And in case the bugs got behind you, don’t worry–your gassy little pal the AX/TX-13 “Guard Dog” Dog Breath won’t let them get the drop on you before it hoses them down with its corrosive gas sprayer. If there’s still some standing after the stratagems are done, hit ‘em with the G-4 Gas grenade. Cover the whole area in a cloud of noxious fumes, Helldiver!
The AX/TX-13 “Guard Dog” Dog Breath gassed up and ready to go.
Adding stratagem variants to Warbonds is new with Chemical Agents, but our designers felt that since gas is a crowd control tool, it made more sense to release stratagems and let Helldivers choose the primary weapons they love the most. Not only that, but this is bringing some serious variety to Chemical Agents that we hope players will enjoy.
Breathe easy in the AF-02 Haz-Master armor.
Now let’s talk drip. The exterminators of Super Earth have access to some killer threads in Chemical Agents. Firstly, these armors have the Advanced Filtration passive, which gives the player resistance to the gas clouds they’ll be generating with their new toys, including the toxic cloud put off by the Orbital Gas Strike stratagem. The AF-50 Noxious Ranger is a lightweight armor, best paired with the Standard of Safe Distance cape. If you really want to go full on with your protective gear, you’ve got the medium AF-02 Haz-Master and the matching Patient Zero’s Remembrance cape. Each set also has a coordinating player card to match the capes.
The AF-50 Noxious Ranger can survive in the fumes.
Our players have been asking for more emotes, and the ones included with Chemical Agents are some of our best yet. Want to know how to tell a joke in Helldivers 2 with your microphone off? Use the co-emote Natural Gas Extraction of course. See if you can convince your whole squad to pull your finger. And once you all get back to your ship, they can express their disgust with the Ew victory pose.
I said pull my finger, Helldiver!
We’re adding another set of patterns for your Hellpods, Pelican-1, and exosuit in Mustard–not the kind that goes on a hot dog either–this is the deadly kind. If at any point your squad wanders into your toxic cloud, you can use the new utility P-11 Stim Pistol to give them a minor heal from a safe distance.
The friendliest of friendly fire: the P-11 Stim Pistol.
Finally, if you want to really lean into the role, Chemical Agents includes a new player title–Expert Exterminator.
That’s everything, Helldivers. This could be a whole new theme for your squad as the galaxy’s elite peacekeepers and pest destroyers. Gas up for Chemical Agents, releasing September 19.
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*Requires base game, paid purchase of Super Credits, and game progression to unlock.
Today, we’re happy to announce a new PS5 system software update that introduces a number of new features, including:
Welcome hub: a new personalized space with customizable widgets and backgrounds in your PS5 home screen. Welcome hub is a reimagined version of the Explore tab, which was previously only available in the U.S. It will roll out globally over the next few weeks, starting today for select players in the U.S.
Party share: the ability to share party voice chat links on messaging and social media apps will roll out globally in the coming weeks.
Additionally, thanks to support from our beta participants, the following features that were tested in our latest PS5 beta will be released globally, starting today:
Personalized 3D audio profiles for headphones and earbuds
Adjust Remote Play settings per user and choose who is allowed to connect to your PS5 console using Remote Play
Adaptive charging for your controllers (available for the slimmer PS5 model and PS5 Pro when it’s available)
Aside from adaptive charging for your controllers, all PS5 system update features mentioned in this blog post are available for all PS5 models. Let’s take a deeper look at what’s included in this update:
Newly announced features
Welcome hub (phased release)
We are introducing a new personalized space in your PS5 home screen called Welcome hub – a dedicated space you can customize with widgets, allowing you to see information at a glance before you begin your gaming sessions. For players in the U.S, Welcome hub will replace the current Explore tab with enhanced customizability and an upgraded user experience.
You can easily customize your Welcome hub by selecting from a variety of widgets*, including console storage, battery levels for accessories, online friends, trophies, and many more. Use presets to quickly change your layout, and simply select and arrange a variety of widgets as you see fit. You can change the size of your widgets, expanding or shrinking them to give more focus to the features that are most important to you.
In addition, you can also change your Welcome hub’s background. Choose from a range of designs, including some with cool animated effects, or pick out a screenshot from your own Media Gallery for a truly personal touch.
Welcome hub will become available to select users in the U.S. starting later today. We will gradually expand support in other regions over the coming weeks, starting with players in Japan, followed by select countries in Europe, and finally releasing worldwide.
Party Share (phased release)
In the next few weeks, we’ll also add the ability for you to share party voice chat links on any messaging or social media app. This will allow you to invite a friend whom you’re chatting with on any messaging app to join your party voice chat, even if you haven’t added them to your friends list on PlayStation Network.
To create a party link, open the voice chat card in the Control Center on PS5, select [Invite Players], then click [Share Party link] to generate a scannable QR code. Recipients can open the link on their mobile device and seamlessly join the party on their PS5 or from PlayStation App.
In the coming weeks, we will also release an update for PlayStation App which will allow you to similarly generate a shareable party link from your mobile device.
PS5 beta features rolling out globally today
Here’s a closer look at some of the PS5 beta features that are rolling out globally today, including personalized 3D audio profiles for headphones and earbuds, the ability to enable Remote Play access for individual users, and adaptive charging for your controllers.
Personalized 3D audio profiles for headphones and earbuds
In this generation, 3D audio is one of the key ways that creators have enhanced the immersive quality of games. As individuals, we all hear sounds differently based on the size and shape of our head, ears, and ear canals.
We’re pleased to introduce a feature that lets your PS5 console create a personalized 3D audio profile just for you. With a set of headphones or earbuds, you can run through a set of sound quality tests to analyze a vast number of factors to create an audio profile that best fits your hearing characteristics. For example, your personalized 3D audio profile may enable you to better sense the positions of characters and objects in a game world more clearly than before, making the experience more immersive.**
To create a personalized 3D audio profile for your headphones or earbuds, go to [Settings] > [Sound] > [3D Audio (Headphones)] on your PS5 console, and follow the steps displayed on the screen. Your audio profile will be saved on your PS5 per user, and you can also still select from 3D audio presets like before.
This feature builds on the 3D audio enhancements we’ve introduced to PS5 since launch, including 3D audio support for built-in TV speakers and support for compatible Dolby Atmos-enabled audio devices. These features give you additional options to immerse yourself more deeply in the rich variety of soundscapes in PS5 games, powered by Tempest 3D AudioTech.
PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech was tested and refined using audio rig setups like the one depicted here, featuring PS Blog’s very own Sid Shuman.
Enable Remote Play for individual users
You can now adjust Remote Play settings per user and choose who is allowed to connect to your PS5 console using Remote Play. So, if your friends or family members come over and sign in to your PS5 console with their account for PlayStation Network, you can easily modify who can continue to access your PS5 console using Remote Play when they leave.
To adjust these settings, go to [Settings] > [System] > [Remote Play] > [Enable Remote Play], and choose which user you want to enable access to your PS5 console through Remote Play.
Adaptive charging for the DualSense wireless controller, DualSense Edge wireless controller, PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, and Access controller is now available for the slimmer PS5 model, when the console is in rest mode (and will also be available for PS5 Pro when it launches).*** Adaptive charging helps save power by adjusting the length of time that power is supplied to your controller based on its battery level.
To use adaptive charging, go to [Settings] > [System] > [Power Saving] > [Features Available in Rest Mode], and then select [Supply Power to USB Ports] > [Adaptive]. After your PS5 enters rest mode, if a controller isn’t connected, the power supply to the USB port will stop after a certain period of time.
We will continue to enhance your gaming and social experiences on PS5 by listening to community feedback on features and improvements. Let us know which features you’re most excited to try!
*Widget availability may vary by region. **Personalized 3D audio profiles are not supported during PS5 cloud game streaming. 3D audio is not supported during Remote Play. ***Adaptive charging works with the DualSense wireless controller, DualSense Edge wireless controller, PS VR2 Sense controllers, and Access controller when connected to the USB Type-C port on the slimmer PS5 console (CFI-2000 model group – slim) or PS5 Pro, using the USB Type-C cable included with your PS5. PlayStation Portal remote player does not support adaptive charging.
Jump between 2D and 3D worlds in a storybook adventure that literally leaps off the page, dive into the depths of the North Sea in a techno-futuristic 1970s, reconnect with friends in a crumbling former mining town and more with September’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup*! The Plucky Squire launches day and date into PlayStation Plus, with the lineup’s headliner joined by Under The Waves, Night in the Woods and many more games. We’re also announcing new classics and PS VR2 game offerings coming to PlayStation Plus Premium, which includes action rhythm shooter Pistol Whip. All these games will be available from September 17.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the new game announcements.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog
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The Plucky Squire | PS5
The Plucky Squire follows the magical adventures of Jot and his friends – storybook characters who discover a three-dimensional world outside the pages of their book. When the malevolent Humgrump realizes he’s the villain of the book – destined to lose his battle against the forces of good for all eternity – he kicks the heroic Jot out of its pages and changes the story forever. Jot must face challenges unlike anything he’s ever seen if he is to save his friends from Humgrump’s dark forces and restore the book’s happy ending. Jump between 2D and 3D worlds in this charming action adventure – solving puzzles, boxing badgers, flying with a jetpack, and enjoying many more delightful and surprising mini challenges as you become the hero of a living storybook.
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Under The Waves | PS4, PS5
Under the Waves is a narrative-driven adventure game about the engulfing power of grief. Set in the depths of the North Sea in a techno-futuristic 1970s, professional diver Stan is struggling to overcome a life-changing loss and embrace a new future. A love letter to the oceans, Under The Waves invites you to dive into a gorgeous underwater world, brought to life in a poetic blend of cinematic visuals and poignant storytelling. Live a gripping story through Stan’s eyes and guide him through an unforeseen series of events that will bring him deeper and deeper into the abyss, the reflection of his own psyche.
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Night in the Woods | PS4, PS5
College dropout Mae Borowski returns home to the crumbling former mining town of Possum Springs seeking to resume her aimless former life and reconnect with the friends she left behind. But things aren’t the same. Home seems different now and her friends have grown and changed. Leaves are falling and the wind is growing colder. Strange things are happening as the light fades. And there’s something in the woods. Night in The Woods is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world. Break stuff, play bass, hang out, walk on powerlines, jump between roofs, and discover strange and amazing and terrible things you never asked for.
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Chernobylite | PS4, PS5
Chernobylite is a science fiction survival horror RPG from developers Farm 51. Set in the hyper-realistic, 3D scanned wasteland of Chernobyl’s exclusion zone, you’ll take on the role of Igor, a physicist and ex-employee of the Chernobyl Power Plant, returning to Pripyat to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his fiancee, 30 years prior. Compete with the hostile military presence, other stalkers and supernatural creatures, as well as the harsh and unforgiving environment in your search to uncover the truth. Get ready for a thrilling adventure of survival, conspiracy, horror, love, and obsession.
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Wild Card Football | PS4, PS5
Wild Card Football is a fun pick-up-and-play arcade-style football game featuring 7v7 team-focused gameplay with the unique Wild Card system that lets you change the course of the action in an instant with special power-ups and rule-breaking abilities. With optimized rule sets, customizable teams and outfits, authentic pro players, and bombastic moves, players can show off their skills across single-player and competitive multiplayer modes, while using ‘Wild Cards’ that redefine the football genre and unleash over-the-top action.
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Space Engineers | PS4, PS5
Space Engineers is a sandbox game about engineering, construction, exploration and survival in space and on planets. Players build space ships, wheeled vehicles, space stations, planetary outposts of various sizes and uses (civil and military), pilot ships and travel through space to explore planets and gather resources to survive. Featuring both creative and survival modes, there is no limit to what can be built, utilized and explored. Space Engineers concentrates on construction and exploration aspects, but can be played as a survival shooter as well.
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Road 96 | PS4, PS5
Road 96 is a crazy, beautiful road-trip. The discovery of exciting places, and unusual people on your own personal journey to freedom. An ever-evolving story-driven adventure inspired by Tarantino, The Coen Brothers, and Bong Joon-ho, made by the award-winning creators of Valiant Hearts and Memories Retold. Moments of action, exploration, contemplative melancholy, human encounters and wacky situations set against a backdrop of authoritarian rule and oppression. A stunning visual style, a soundtrack filled with 90s hits, and a thousand routes through the game combine so each player can create their own unique stories on Road 96.
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Ben 10 | PS4
As Ben Tennyson, it’s up to you to save the world. Take on some of Ben’s most infamous enemies, including Zombozo, Queen Bee, and the Weatherheads. Unlock and transform into all ten of Ben’s incredible alien forms. Use each alien’s powerful combat moves – including Ultimate Attacks – to lay the beat-down on enemies with devastating combos, and solve puzzles with each alien’s unique abilities as you unravel exciting new stories in three all-new playable episodes.
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Far Cry 5* | PS4
Welcome to Hope County, Montana, the land of the free and brave, but also the home of a fanatical doomsday cult. Stand up to cult leader Joseph Seed and his siblings, the Heralds, to spark the fires of resistance and liberate the besieged community. Use a vast arsenal of weapons from rocket launchers to shovels, and take control of iconic muscle cars, ATVs, planes, and more to engage the cult forces in epic fights. Ally with the Fangs for Hire group, including fan-favorite bear Cheeseburger and dog Boomer, and free Hope County from its oppressors.
*PlayStation Plus re-release.
PlayStation Premium | PS VR2 & Classics
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Pistol Whip | PS VR2
This physical first-person shooter is fueled by dynamic tracks, dreamscape visuals and easy to learn, tough to master gunplay. Blast, duck, and dodge your way through fever dream scenarios, build unique rhythms in a ballet of bullets and claim glory on the leader boards.Inspired by iconic action cinema, the only thing that goes harder than this title’s soundtrack is you. Flow to the music with your own rhythmic patterns, or go all out as a dual-wielding deadeye with nothing to lose.
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Secret Agent Clank | PS4, PS5
Play as Clank, Ratchet, and Captain Qwark in this undercover adventure, originally released on PSP and now enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters. When a valuable gem is stolen and Ratchet is charged with its theft, only one Robot can save him – Secret Agent Clank! It’s up to the galaxy’s top spy to solve this mystery and uncover the true mastermind behind the crime.
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Sky Gunner | PS4, PS5
Experience SkyGunner, a 3D third-person combat flight sim originally released on the PlayStation 2, now enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters. Choose from three Skygunners; Ciel, Copain and Femme and take on a multitude of spectacular missions and take advantage of the intricate scoring system to unlock hidden secrets and modes.
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Mister Mosquito | PS4, PS5
You are Mr Moskeeto, an uninvited guest in the Yamada’s family home. You will need to drink as much of their blood as possible to survive the winter. They know you are in the house, and they plan to take you out. This PS2 release is now enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters. Fly through and explore the 12 levels of the Yamada household, searching for victims. Use stealth or prepare for air combat as you do battle with human inhabitants. Watch the family’s relationship disintegrate as they take their irritation out on each other.
*PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe lineups may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day.
It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, PS VR, and free-to-play games topped the download charts last month. New release Black Myth: Wukong journeyed to the top of the download charts on August’s PS5 list, with Swordsman VR and Beat Saber taking top spots in the US and EU regions.
Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month?
PS5 Games
US/Canada
EU
Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong
EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25
Grand Theft Auto V
EA SPORTS College Football 25
Star Wars Outlaws
Grand Theft Auto V
Hogwarts Legacy
Star Wars Outlaws
Baldur’s Gate 3
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Baldur’s Gate 3
Gran Turismo 7
Hogwarts Legacy
Among Us
WWE 2K24
Sea of Thieves
HELLDIVERS 2
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT
Cyberpunk 2077
Sea of Thieves
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
ELDEN RING
It Takes Two
Gran Turismo 7
ELDEN RING
Cyberpunk 2077
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT
Among Us
WWE 2K24
MLB The Show 24
Cat Quest III
Mortal Kombat 1
Vampire Survivors
*Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not included
PS4 Games
US/Canada
EU
Minecraft
Minecraft
Call of Duty: Black Ops III
A Way Out
Batman: Arkham Knight
The Forest
Red Dead Redemption 2
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V
Gang Beasts
Castle Crashers Remastered
Firewatch
Gang Beasts
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
The Forest
Red Dead Redemption 2
Firewatch
Need for Speed Payback
Need for Speed Payback
Batman: Arkham Knight
Dying Light
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game
A Way Out
Dying Light
theHunter: Call of the Wild
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25
Mortal Kombat X
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
Outlast
Mortal Kombat X
Unravel Two
Need for Speed Heat
Need for Speed Heat
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Alien: Isolation
Hogwarts Legacy
Watch Dogs 2
theHunter: Call of the Wild
*Naming of products may differ between regions
PS VR2 Games*
US/Canada
EU
Beat Saber
Swordsman VR
Swordsman VR
Beat Saber
Among Us VR
Pavlov
Pavlov
Among Us VR
Arizona Sunshine 2
Arizona Sunshine 2
Arcade Paradise VR
Job Simulator
COMPOUND
Arcade Paradise VR
Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition
Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition
Synapse
Survivorman VR The Descent
Job Simulator
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
*PS Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included
When Liu Kang changed the timeline to what we know it to be in Mortal Kombat 1, he created a whole new universe of possibilities. In this New Era, some characters have been reimagined. Sektor first appeared in Mortal Kombat 3 as a cybernetic ninja, famous for punishing enemies with missile barrages and flamethrower attacks. In Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns which launches September 24 on PS5, Sektor emerges as a reinvented character with an arsenal of new abilities. Including a devastating new Brutality, which we’ll be sharing for the first time here.
Design-wise, we wanted to explore the idea that in this new timeline Sektor fights in a cyber suit as opposed to being completely robotic, a precursor to the origins of the Lin Kuei’s cybernetic initiative before they reached the level of fully converting humans into cyborgs. For Mortal Kombat 1, the goal was to convey strength and overwhelming firepower through her use of heavy weapons. Sektor’s power comes primarily through an exosuit that deploys her assortment of weapons but also enhances her hand-to-hand fighting ability using thrusters on her palms and feet. Despite Sektor’s new appearance, it remained imperative to design abilities that retain the DNA from the klassic version of the character, while simultaneously complementing her toolkit with new powers that highlight the technology of her new exosuit.
To highlight these new attacks, we continually looked for opportunities to design Brutality moments that pair well with key special moves. Brutalities are prominent moments during gameplay where an opponent gets destroyed in a compelling, over-the-top way. The recipe for a good Brutality often lies in a combination of imagination while creating a visceral reaction with comedic elements. For us, Sektor’s Tug of War Brutality ticks each of those boxes. The attack is based on a move she had in Mortal Kombat 3 where a mechanical arm comes out and throws her opponent. In Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns, we wanted to pay homage to this by having the mechanic arm tear off the victim’s head and hold it up like a trophy. This then presented a unique opportunity in terms of how the opponent’s head could be best demolished in the most audacious way possible. After mulling it over, our design group decided on having her grind the head up as if it was jammed into a garbage disposal, with the liquefied remains ejecting outward from the flaps in her suit, which we think will elicit a reaction from players.
Gameplay-wise, Sektor is an accessible space control character with good mid to long-range zoning potential. Additionally, she has excellent air mobility options primarily due to her use of air thrusters capable of propelling her in any direction, acting similarly to a double jump. One of Sektor’s new attacks is SkyDrop, where she blasts into the air using her thrusters and slams down over the opponent. For the enhanced version, Sektor crushes the opponent with an uppercut before slamming down and blasting them into the air for a juggle opportunity leading to potentially big combo damage. Moreover, Sektor’s new Blast Shield is a unique special move where she deploys a large shield while at the same time clamping her feet to the ground. While the shield is deployed, incoming projectiles can no longer push Sektor back, and successfully blocking projectile attacks charges up secondary weapons and gives her certain cancel options into special moves.
Sektor has always been an enormous fan-favorite in the Mortal Kombat Universe, and now in Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns, her arsenal of devastating weaponry and abilities give her a target-rich environment among the cast of kombatants in the game. We’re excited for players to finally get their hands on Sektor and experience all the fun and interesting things she is capable of.
Sektor will be available as a playable character when the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Expansion releases digitally on PS5 on September 24.
Can you believe it’s been 10 years since Destiny first launched on PS3 and PS4? 10 years since players first chose Hunter, Titan, or Warlock and jumped into Bungie’s expansive sci-fi world to build up their fledgling Guardian. I can still vividly remember my first time facing off against a daunting Fallen Walker in the Cosmodrome during the Destiny alpha all those years ago.
To celebrate the series’ decade-long run, we asked developers from PlayStation Studios to share their fondest memories playing Destiny and their developer perspective on what makes the game so sticky and satisfying.
With no further ado, happy 10th anniversary, Destiny!
“When Destiny first launched, and after I played for a bit, I actually reached out to my old high school friends who live in another town and convinced them to buy a PS4 and immediately join me. We had such a great time that it kickstarted our weekly game night that has been going on since 2014. Destiny was basically the reason why we reconnected and became even better friends.
I usually can’t play a game without analyzing the animations. I’ve always been impressed with Destiny’s cinematics and enemy animations. Each faction has always felt very distinct and unique from each other with varied personalities coming through their movement. Bungie’s use of runtime, full-body IK rigs has always been amazing as well.“
– Bruno Velazquez, Game Director, Santa Monica Studio
“I got Destiny two months after release as a birthday present to myself, and it gave me so many moments of joy throughout this past decade, and a fireteam of lifelong friends.
But the one moment I will never get over is the opening mission of the Shadowkeep expansion. One of my friends made it out of the Hive’s tunnels first and said: ‘Oh my god, you guys gotta get up here, now.’ I can still remember the awe and horror of turning the corner in the tunnels of the moon and seeing a huge pyramid embedded in the lunar rock, and processing what it meant. One of the best reveals I’ve ever seen done.
As a lighting artist, Destiny is a huge inspiration for me, from the beautiful skyboxes to the excellent use of color and silhouette to create interest, focal points, and lead the player throughout fantastical spaces. It’s a dream of mine to work on a game with such freedom of color and atmosphere!“
– Jen Carlin, Lighting Artist, Insomniac Games
“Destiny is a game I’ve been playing on and off since September 2014. I begged my aunt to get it for me as an early Christmas gift because even from the early trailers, I knew this game was special. Through high school, college, and my career at PlayStation, it’s always been there.
When I enter the Tower, no matter how long of a hiatus it’s been, it feels like coming home. Which of course made it all the more devastating when we lost the first one, and all the more elating when we found it again in the Pale Heart. Destiny has achieved an incredible symbiosis based on the dedication of not just the developers but also the players and community, which allows them to create this intense emotional connection.
As a Narrative and Mission designer, the longevity of the story, the depth of the world-building, and the memorability of not just the main campaigns but the seasonal stories have left a profound impression on me that makes me wish I could experience it all over again and hope to emulate in the future of my career.“
– Sam Jordan, Designer, Insomniac Games
“My earliest memory of Destiny is running Relic Iron loops on Mars for a friend, but my favorite memory would have to be my raid team beating Nezarac on contest mode after we wiped during the final stand, all thanks to one friend’s insistence on using Osteo Striga.
The player expression through buildcrafting is what keeps me constantly interested in Destiny, especially the minutia of how a build can differ from person to person. I love fine-tuning my support builds to help my teammates, whether that’s printing orbs on Arc Hunter, locking down the battlefield on Stasis Warlock, or creating safe havens on Void Titan. Happy 10th anniversary Destiny, you’ve definitely become legend!“
– Matthew Makuch, Senior Technical Designer, Bend Studio
“Each raid has a physical jacket you can buy if you complete it in the first week. My favorite is my first, the Crown of Sorrow jacket. The jacket features a chalice and my gamer tag. I didn’t have a clan, but that was worth trying LFG. At minimum Power, the difficulty got ridiculous. Most hits would put me one shot from death. Eventually, the group kicked me, and I went to bed dispirited and disappointed.
The next day, I joined another LFG for one last shot an hour before reset. In the group were speedrunners from Fast who’d set the world record two weeks later. I only realized when they flew across and skipped the whole jumping puzzle!
At the final boss, random crystals spawned which required two players to melee them. I was so focused on surviving I’d often miss the spawn, so I heard a constant chorus of “Behind you! Hurry up!” With ten minutes before reset, we wiped on an enrage [an attack that’s unleashed if players take too long] just before we killed the boss. But we rallied and got the kill with only minutes left. In less than 24 hours, I had gone from the lowest to the highest point in my Destiny journey.“
– Jeffrey Lininger, Senior Game Designer, Guerrilla
“One of my favourite things about Destiny is that it’s like a social sandbox and a TV show I can’t get enough of rolled into one. Guiding a group of my friends through Vault of Glass, their first raid, was a brilliant experience!
My first instinct when I find anything cool is to tell someone about it. So it was so much fun to be able to share one of my all time favourite experiences, take them through each encounter and watch them, well, die over and over but also get excited as they figure out each mechanic and eventually succeed.
At the same time, it’s a world that’s so fascinating to explore and delve into. Reading through the Books of Sorrow and the work of the amazing writing team is as impactful to me as exploring the Pale Heart or finally defeating Skolas when we foolishly (or bravely?) tried that week Lightswitch was the modifier. Good times. Telesto is also the Besto.“
– Luke Gillard, Senior Functional Tester, Guerrilla / PlayStation QA
“The most memorable moment for me is the entrance of the Witch Queen expansion as you cannonball (quite literally) through an endless bound of beautiful locations that left me speechless.
Destiny 2 is a masterpiece in visual quality and graphical standards; the carefully crafted environments are rich with narrative design and especially to me, the lighting. The artistic lighting since Destiny began has had such a significant influence on the methods that I use to approach lighting in similarly enriched environments. From the use of colour, compositions and implementation to gameplay, the artistic talent of the team truly sets one of the highest standards for our industry and they continually prove that with each new expansion.
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– Daniel Sewell, Senior Lighting Artist, Haven
What are your earliest and fondest memories from Destiny’s past 10 years?
Join us for a streamed presentation hosted by Mark Cerny, Lead Architect of the PS5 console. The 9-minute Technical Presentation will focus on PS5 and innovations in gaming technology.
How to watch
The stream will be broadcast in English on the PlayStation YouTube channel September 10 at 8:00am PT / 11:00am ET / 4:00pm BST.
Regarding co-streaming and video-on-demand (VOD)
Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you’re planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music.
Astro Bot made his anticipated return to PS5 with last week’s release of the titular game. Team Asobi, the PlayStation Studio behind Astro’s Playroom, infused the little bot’s big new adventure with enough stages, power-ups, secrets, and fun to make any 3D platforming fan grin.
With the game’s launch fresh in our minds, I visited Team Asobi’s studio to interview the development team about the studio’s history, development style, and tribute to 30 years of PlayStation. Let’s delve right into it.
Art & Animation: Everything begins with gameplay ideas
Left: Jamie Smith, Principal Animation Director, Team Asobi Middle: Sebastian Brueckner, Principal Art Director, Team Asobi Right: Maki Murakami Senior Animator, Team Asobi
PlayStation Blog: What do you prioritize the most when creating characters?
Jamie Smith: I pay close attention to “playfulness.” When creating animations, we model how children express joy, like jumping up and down with excitement, to elicit jubilant feelings among players. Children are packed with actions and emotions, and we strive to imbue all these essences in our character designs.
How do you decide which of these ideas make it into the game?
Sebastian Brueckner: First and foremost, everyone must agree that these ideas will enhance the gameplay. We don’t choose ideas solely from the art aspects, but everything begins with the gameplay ideas. As a team, we collectively envision a series of gameplay scenarios and make decisions on the world and its details. For instance, if the gameplay involves ice, we further collaborate on the idea and may suggest the sea as the world setting. Once the details are finalized, the art comes in to refine the world.
Maki Murakami: This brainstorming process is particularly palpable in Astro’s new power-ups and enhancement designs. Handy-D is one example. The idea behind this long-armed monkey was to assist Astro in climbing. Then we explored the ideas on how we could make it cuter and agreed on the design for it to be carried on Astro’s back. We create prototypes, then playtest them and refine them together to take the level of fun to eleven.
Tech & Programming: New features stem from the passion for delivering new experiences
Left: Toshimasa Aoki, Sr Principal Product Manager Right: Masayuki Yamada, Principal Gameplay Programming Lead, Team Asobi
Tell us about Team Asobi’s unique modeling techniques.
Masayuki Yamada: Gameplay programmers start by creating primitive models based on the specifications provided by the designers and test the gameplay with them. Once we verify the models are indeed fun, the artists step in to elevate the experience. Our team process is different from others in the sense that we first define what makes the gameplay fun and then amplify that aspect of the game even further.
As a hardware developer, how do you feel about the DualSense controller transforming into a character and featuring in the game as the Dual Speeder?
Toshimasa Aoki: I was genuinely thrilled to see the controller I helped create featured in the game. Before Astro Bot, the controllers received a spotlight only in the User’s Guide. But look at them now, flying around in the game as 3D characters, responding to every move and action. What better way to showcase the hardware than this?
Team Asobi’s work is also a great platform to highlight new PlayStation technologies, like PlayStation VR and the DualSense controller. To deliver these new, unique features to players, is there anything your team focuses on?
Toshimasa: We introduce new features because we want to create new experiences for our players. Our close collaboration with Team Asobi allows us to test prototypes early in their development. When we see smiles or hear chuckles from the team, it’s a sign that we’ve successfully created something new, and those reactions are a testament to the motivation in our work.
A game packed with fun action and 30 years of PlayStation history
Nicolas Doucet, Studio Head, Team Asobi
What do you think is Team Asobi’s unique strength that sets the studio apart from others?
Nicolas Doucet: Our strengths are ideas and speed. Innovation is a key aspect of Sony’s DNA, and achieving innovation requires testing numerous ideas. Ideas and speed are inseparable when it comes to promptly identifying what works. And that’s what Team Asobi excels in. Everyone on the team is always eager, inspired, and motivated to create something new.
What kind of experiences do you want players to have when they play Astro Bot?
Doucet: For veteran gamers, we hope to bring them the fun of platform action games and a sense of nostalgia, as the title is packed with tributes to PlayStation’s 30 years of history. With cameos like PaRappa, I hope players feel a wave of joy and nostalgia when encountering these familiar faces.
I also feel a profound sense of responsibility towards novice players, especially very young gamers about to embark on their first gaming adventure. I vividly remember the first time I played a video game- it was incredibly fun and left a lasting impression on me. If Astro Bot is someone’s first video game and sparks the same joy and excitement that I felt, I would be personally delighted.
What are some unique advantages that come with being part of PlayStation Studios? And how do you collaborate with other PlayStation Studios?
Doucet: Since this title packs in much of PlayStation history, we worked closely with all the PlayStation Studios. When we shared our concept with the studio directors and game creators, their responses were overwhelmingly positive. Initially, I thought we could only feature around 50 characters out of the 150 characters we wanted to feature. But to our greatest surprise, the studios unanimously agreed to the cameo of all 150 characters. Apart from our PlayStation Studios, we were also lucky to collaborate with third-party publishers.
What message do you have for the players who are waiting eagerly for the Astro Bot’s release?Doucet: We’ve spent three years creating Astro Bot for both long-time PlayStation fans and new players, so please take your time and enjoy every nook and cranny of the game. We’ve also hidden many secrets and surprises, so have fun exploring and discovering them all!