Hideo Kojima took to the stage at SXSW today and – joined by some special guests – discussed new details about Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Those details included the reveal of the game’s release date: June 26, 2025. To mark the announcement – and pre-orders going live March 17* – attendees enjoyed a first look at a special Kojima-directed Pre-Order trailer, which you can watch in full below.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will launch in a range of different versions. This includes a Collector’s Edition, which will be available to pre-order directly from PlayStation and select retailers worldwide.
Details on the different versions you can find below.
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Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Collector’s Edition** | 229.99 USD, 249.99 Euro, 31,980 JPY
Full Game Digital Download
48-hour Early Access to the game
Collector’s Box
15” Magellan Man Statue
3” Dollman figurine
Art cards
Letter from Hideo Kojima
In-game items
Machine Gun (MP Bullets) LV1 early unlock
Battle Skeleton: Gold (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Boost Skeleton: Gold (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Bokka Skeleton: Gold (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Quokka Patch
Chiral Feline Patch
Why Me? Patch
If you pre-order the Collectors Edition, you’ll also receive:
Quokka Hologram
Battle Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Boost Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Bokka Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
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Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Digital Deluxe Edition | 79.99 USD, 89.99 Euro, 9,980 JPY
Full Game Digital Download
48-hour Early Access to the game
In-game items
Machine Gun (MP Bullets) LV1 early unlock
Battle Skeleton: Gold (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Boost Skeleton: Gold (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Bokka Skeleton: Gold (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Quokka Patch
Chiral Feline Patch
Why Me? Patch
If you pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition, you’ll also receive:
Quokka Hologram
Battle Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Boost Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Bokka Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
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Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Digital Standard Edition | 69.99 USD, 79.99 Euro, 8,980 JPY
Full Game Digital Download
If you pre-order the Standard Edition, you’ll also receive:
Quokka Hologram
Battle Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Boost Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Bokka Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach “Stranding Harmony” Concert Series
Also announced today was a special concert tour to celebrate the music of Death Stranding. This tour, featuring a full orchestra performing music from the series, will commence November 8, 2025, beginning with a performance at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, followed by dates around the world. You’ll find more information on the tour here.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach new screenshots
To mark the SXSW 2025 Special Panel, Kojima Productions also released all-new screenshots for the game, which you can look through below.
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*Death Stranding 2: On the Beach pre-orders go live March 17 at 10am local time. **Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Collector’s Edition includes a voucher code to redeem Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and digital bonuses. Account for PlayStation Network, and internet connection required for code redemption. **direct.playstation.com purchase information: starting March 17 at 10am ET in the U.S., and 10am local time in the U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, players will be able to pre-order the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Collector’s Edition exclusively through direct.playstation.com in limited quantities. When ordering directly from PlayStation, enjoy free launch day delivery on pre-orders. Visit direct.playstation.com for more details.
Last week, we asked you rewind back to the summer of 1995 and share moments from Lost Records: Bloom & Rage using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
call_me_xaviishares Swann, Autumn, Nora, and Kat crossing a forest log in the setting sun
treeblazahshares Autumn and Kat blowing out dandelions.
Beat_Minerzshares Nora sitting on a picnic bench with a skateboard
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: Monster Hunter Wilds SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 12, 2025
Next week, head out into the wilds with your Palico in tow. Capture rapturous moments in Monster Hunter Wilds using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
Commemorate The Last of Us franchise with a brand-new controller; here’s a first look at the DualSense wireless controller – The Last of Us Limited Edition. Created in close collaboration with the creative team at Naughty Dog, this striking design features glossy trophy icons printed across the surface that call back to key moments, characters, and events from The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II.
To share more about the controller’s design and inspiration, here’s Head of Studio and Head of Creative Neil Druckmann and Graphic Designer Megan Mehran from Naughty Dog:
“We were excited by the chance to memorialize The Last of Us franchise in a controller that fans and our own team would love. We wanted to ensure that both installments of The Last of Us are represented, via trophy icons printed in black gloss across the controller body. Among the trophies, three particular images will immediately stand out for TLOU fans: The firefly, moth, and wolf. Players will recognize the Fireflies’ iconic spray-painted logo that originated in Part I, while the moth and wolf represent the intertwining lives and duality between Ellie and Abby in Part II.“
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The DualSense wireless controller – The Last of Us Limited Edition will be available in limited quantities for $84.99 / €84.99 / £74.99. Pre-orders start on March 14, 2025 at 10am local time at direct.playstation.com (where available) as well as participating retailers, with launch on April 10, 2025. The exact launch date and availability for the controller may vary by country/region.
We’re thrilled to share this new design with the community during an especially exciting time for new and old TLOU fans alike. In the coming months, PC players will be able to continue the acclaimed story of this iconic franchise with The Last of Us Part II Remastered, launching on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on April 3, 2025. Fans can also follow Joel, Ellie, and Abby’s emotional journeys in the highly anticipated second season of The Last of Us, premiering April 13, 2025, on HBO and available to stream on Max.
direct.playstation.com Purchase Information
Starting March 14, 2025 at 7am PT in the U.S., and 10am local time in the U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, players will be able to pre-order the DualSense wireless controller – The Last of Us Limited Edition through direct.playstation.com in limited quantities. When ordering directly from PlayStation, enjoy free launch day delivery for eligible pre-orders – visit direct.playstation.com for more details.
With Season 2 kicking off and the start of the Tekken World Tour right around the corner, 2025 looks like it’s going to be another amazing year for fans of Bandai Namco’s legendary Tekken series. As one of the earliest fighting games on the original PlayStation, Tekken has a unique link to the consoles, with the series evolving its gameplay and narrative alongside the platforms. Let’s take a look back at the saga of the Mishima family and all the havoc they’ve caused throughout the years for PlayStation players.
Bloodline beginnings
The original Tekken was one of the first fighting games to debut on the original PlayStation, launching in early 1995 in Japan and in fall elsewhere. Besides introducing the diabolical Mishima family and establishing many of the series’ base mechanics, such as the four-attack-button control scheme, Tekken also set a new high watermark for future home ports. Up until this point, players were used to home ports of arcade games compromising for weaker hardware with downgraded visuals and sound and missing content. However, since Tekken’s arcade release was on advanced hardware very similar to the PlayStation, the port was arcade perfect. But Namco went the extra mile and added content not in the original: Ending movies, playable sub-boss characters, even a hidden unlockable character who would play a very big role in future games–that you’d need to master Galaga as the game loaded to discover.
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Tekken 2, which came to arcades in late 1995 surprised players by shifting the focus to the deposed patriarch and previous villain of the original Tekken, Heihachi Mishima, while also bringing in fresh faces Jun and Lei. It also introduced a wealth of additional characters that unlocked over time, encouraging players to come back and try out newly-debuted characters. In 1996, Namco brought the game to PlayStation with a port that was a marked improvement. Tekken 2’s PlayStation-exclusive CG intro movie and endings were stunning and established the series’ reputation for high-quality cutscenes. It also added new gameplay modes: Team Battle, Time Attack, Survival Mode, and a Practice Mode.
For many fans, Tekken 3 was their introduction to the series. It was both massively popular in arcades and a best-selling smash hit worldwide when it debuted on PlayStation in 1998. Moving the story ahead 20 years, the mantle of leading man switched to Jin Kazama, the son of Kazuya and Jun, and many returning characters were either older (though not always wiser) or replaced by a successor. New characters were introduced that would quickly become fan favorites going forwards, including Hwoarang, Bryan, Eddy, and Xiaoyu. To better take advantage of the 3D arenas, Tekken 3 added sidestep dodges for all characters to use. The PlayStation version added two gameplay modes: The sidescrolling beat-em-up style Tekken Force, and beloved party favorite Tekken Ball, as well as additional characters: Anna Williams, Dr. Bosconovich, and Tekken’s first-ever guest character, the tiny dinosaur Gon.
Vengeance, powered by Emotion Engines
When it came time to debut the PlayStation 2, it felt natural that a Tekken title would launch alongside it. Tekken Tag Tournament came to the console in 2000 with massively improved visuals over its arcade counterpart, showcasing the visual fidelity that players could come to expect from the PS2. TTT changed up combat the formula: rather than playing one character, you’d form a team of two fighters and be able to swap between them in battle. The roster was also significantly expanded to contain a host of characters from across the series, including pre-story-timeskip characters. Finally, we got another wild mini-game in the form of Tekken Bowl.
Tekken 4 would emerge a little over a year after TTT’s PS2 debut, reintroducing Kazuya to the story and changing gameplay up quite a bit. Previously, all stages in Tekken had been “infinite” stages with no set boundaries. Tekken 4 switched things up by introducing stages with uneven ground, walls, and other obstacles–which would bestow extra damage and combo opportunities when opponents were slammed against them. Movement was also adjusted, altering some popular movement strategies seen in T3 and TTT. Tekken 4 also emphasized the story to a greater degree than previous games: console additions were a full-fledged Story Mode as well as a greatly expanded Tekken Force sub-game.
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It would take a few more years before Tekken 5 would step into the ring. Picking up directly where Tekken 4 left off, with Heihachi Mishima seemingly dead and Jin’s devil side more prominent, Tekken 5 would become a fan favorite. Namco dialed back some of the movement and stage design changes of Tekken 4 in response to player feedback. Asuka, Feng, and Raven joined the roster, along with the ability to customize characters with cosmetic items earned and bought in-game. The original Tekken 5 would see a PS2 port, where the boss Jinpachi was made playable and Jin Kazama’s struggle took center stage in the action-based, story-driven Devil Within mode–along with playable ports of the arcade Tekken 1, 2, and 3. This wouldn’t be the last we’d see of Tekken 5, however.
Devils emerging from a CELL
A 2006 arcade revision of Tekken 5, Dark Resurrection, would introduce players to combatants Lili and Dragunov, change up some visuals, and further fine-tune the gameplay. The first port of Dark Resurrection would actually come to the PSP in mid-2006, bringing with it the new Tekken Dojo mode, which let players share AI-controlled “ghosts” of their gameplay online for others to download and battle against. While the game was well received on PSP, players still wanted a console version, so some months later T5DR was made a downloadable game on the PlayStation Network. An update would follow in mid-2007 allowing for online matches to be played. To this day, T5DR is one of the most beloved Tekken titles among fans.
Later that year, Tekken 6 would emerge in arcades, introducing new faces Bob, Zafina, Leo, and Miguel. Things were now getting wildly out of hand among the Mishimas, with Jin and Kazuya both in control of massive corporations waging all-out-war against each other and Heihachi unaccounted for. Bloodline Rebellion, a late 2008 update, would further complicate the family struggle by introducing Heihachi’s forgotten son Lars and weapon-wielding mecha-maiden Alisa to combat. Gameplay additions include the Rage mechanic–where players deal more damage when at low life–as well as the combo-extending Bound system and interactive background elements like breakable walls and floors.
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The PS3 version, based heavily on Bloodline Rebellion, released in 2009 and featured the biggest story mode yet in the form of Scenario Campaign. It followed the duo of Lars and Alisa as they lead a band of rebels against the Tekken Force and the Mishima Zaibatsu. Tekken 6 also released on the PSP, and while it lacked the Scenario Campaign, it did offer some of the best visuals on the platform and ad-hoc multiplayer.
It would be a few years before Tekken’s return, and in the meantime, Bandai-Namco released Tekken Hybrid in 2011. This set offered an HD remaster of Tekken Tag Tournament with an original CG film, Tekken: Blood Vengeance, and a demo of the then-new arcade title Tekken Tag Tournament 2. True to its title, TTT2 brought back the tag-match gameplay and expanded the selectable roster. The PS3 port, which launched in late 2012, added several legacy characters, a new stage and music track from famed musician Snoop Dogg, CG ending cinematics for the whole cast, and some additional cast members and character variants.
Another interesting spin-off emerged after TTT2: Tekken Revolution, a free-to-play version of Tekken focused on online matches. By playing, players could earn in-game currency to unlock further characters, as well as use earned Skill Points to enhance character attributes. Tekken Revolution received frequent updates to add characters and gameplay features throughout its life, eventually ending service in 2017.
The struggle continues
Tekken 7 took its time coming to the PlayStation 4, finally reaching players in 2017, two years after its arcade release. During that time, arcade Tekken 7 received updates–including Fated Retribution, which famously brought Street Fighter’s Akuma into the roster. He wasn’t alone, however–Lucky Chloe, Josie, Katarina, Claudio, and Shaheen all joined the fray as well, alongside several new stages and system changes. Taking into account some of the feedback from Tekken Revolution, T6’s bounds were adjusted and reduced, being supplanted by new screw combo starters. The Rage system was further developed as well, creating new Rage Drive and Rage Art skills that could be used at low health–but only once per round, and at the cost of Rage’s damage boost.
Upon reaching the PS4, Tekken 7 received a console-exclusive, lengthy story mode–but, perhaps more importantly, it was given a full slate of DLC updates for years afterwards, tweaking character skills and adding plenty of new stages, music, and characters over time. Besides re-introducing old favorites left out of the original roster, the Tekken 7 DLC also brought in new characters Leroy and Lidia–and, most memorably, several additional surprise guest characters: Geese Howard from Fatal Fury, Noctis from Final Fantasy XV, and Neegan from The Walking Dead.
As Tekken 8 marked its first anniversary on PS5 this past January, fans can look forward to plenty of further surprises. Season 2 of DLC promises that even more new, beloved, and unexpected characters will be joining the roster, and the most recent free story update leaves off on a cliffhanger that promises yet more high-stakes inter-family drama between the Mishimas in the future.
The birdman returns in the next-gen remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, coming to PS5 and PS4 on July 11. The legendary skateboarding series first launched on the original PlayStation in 1999, and the shred’s not dead. It’s back and better than ever.
Skate the original content rebuilt from the ground up joined by new skaters, parks, tricks, music, and more, including enhanced creation tools and New Game+ to keep the grind going.
Here’s what’s coming down the halfpipe:
Prepare to shred
Skate through two challenge-filled tours in Career, chase high scores in Single Sessions and Speedruns, or take your time nailing tricks and exploring each park in Free Skate.
Bring your skate friends along, too. Cross-platform online multiplayer supports up to eight skaters at a time. Go head-to-head in competitive game modes or skate every surface together in multiplayer Free Skate. Whichever mode you play, the game’s smooth handling and simple-to-learn controls will have you grinding and landing tricks in no time.
Classic and new parks, New Game+
Skate the original parks from THPS3 and THPS4 remade in 4K resolution and given streamlined goals in the two-minute format along with some new parks to expand your skating options. Tackle dozens of challenges to earn in-game cash and unlock new gear including new skate decks, grip tapes, wheels for your board, and extra apparel for your skater.
Shred harder than ever in New Game+, retaining your skater’s stat growth achieved in the first playthrough as you work toward true mastery over each of the parks.
Waterpark
In the new Waterpark map, skaters drop into the Mojave Desert in an abandoned theme park that’s seen better days, its slides rusted, graffiti on the walls, and a drained-out lazy river… creating the perfect skate obstacle for circling the park. Skip the line and head straight to the top of several huge water slides, testing your grind balance and vert abilities on the way down.
New skaters, tricks, songs
Hit up the park with new skaters joining the original lineup or create your own skater with in-depth customization options for hair, tattoos, makeup, and more. Pick your skater’s name, hometown, skating style, and get out there with your arsenal of new and classic tricks.
If you’re feeling rusty, the in-game tutorial led by Tony Hawk will get you started with lessons on the all-important ollie, kickflips, vert tricks, grinds, reverts, manuals, special tricks, and everything you need to become a high-score skater, all set to songs from the original soundtrack expanded with new music.
Skate the Foundry Demo
Preorder THPS 3 + 4 to skate in the Foundry Demo in June featuring two playable skaters, two parks, and a selection of songs from the soundtrack. Players who preorder the game also gain instant access to the in-game Wireframe Tony Shader at launch.
Digital Deluxe Edition: Early Access and more
Purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition to join the Early Access period starting three days before the game’s official July 11 launch date. Plus, get access to some sick in-game extras:
Extra skaters: Get evil with Doom Slayer and Revenant. Both skaters include a pair of unique special tricks for some truly sick moves suited to their demonic style.
Extra tracks: Expand the in-game soundtrack with a selection of headbanging tunes inspired by a classic video game.
Extra skate decks, apparel: Get additional skate decks including designs inspired by Doom Slayer and Revenant, plus extra apparel options for your skater.
Collector’s Edition: limited-edition skate deck
The Collector’s Edition is for the most dedicated skaters including a limited-edition full-size Birdhouse skateboard deck with a reissued version of the Wings graphic and a printed Tony Hawk autograph. The Collector’s Edition includes a physical copy of the game with a voucher giving access to all the Digital Deluxe Edition benefits.
Get shredding
Preorders are now available for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, which launches on PS5 and PS4 on July 11. Stay tuned for more information to come.
Last month was a time of love for video games. What game from last month’s lineup won over your heart? Some of the big new releases included Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
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. After the polls close we will tally your votes, and announce the winner on our social channels and PlayStation.Blog.
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? Note: re-released games don’t qualify, but remakes do. We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
How are nominees decided? The PlayStation Blog editorial team will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll.
Hey, everybody! Sid, O’Dell, Kristen, and Brett discuss some of the newest releases, including Monster Hunter Wilds and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1, and break down the official LEGO Horizon Adventures playset.
Stuff We Talked About
Next week’s release highlights:
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars | PS5, PS4
FragPunk | PS5
Split Fiction | PS5
Two Point Museum | PS5
War Robots: Frontiers | PS5, PS4
Eldrador Creatures: Shadowfall | PS5
LEGO Horizon Adventures playset
Gran Turismo 7 1.56 update
Midnight Murder Club early access
Terminator 2D: No Fate reveal
Monster Hunter Wilds post-launch roadmap
India Hero Project Blog
Bloody Boots
Lokko
PlayStation Plus Monthly Games March
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Sonic Colors: Ultimate
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Marvel Rivals
Monster Hunter Wilds
The Cast
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Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE
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Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE
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Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE
Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
Last week, we asked you to set sail and share swashbuckling moments as a pirate in the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
call_me_xaviishares leaping into the action in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
MrioMoreno5shares a council of pirates in Return to Monkey Island.
JLunarTravelersteers the pirate ship in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
xenobitzshares a wrestler donning a Luffy/One Piece costume in WWE 2K24
doodlecepshares Astro Bot in a pirate outfit and Captain Pincher.
fsantos1697shares the seafaring crew in Sea of Stars.
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: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1 SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 5, 2025
Next week, we’re capturing 90s summer memories in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. Share unforgettable moments from Tape 1 using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
For those of you who have been waiting for the opportunity to jump into PlayStation VR2 and experience what this generation’s innovative virtual reality system has to offer, we are happy to share some great news! Starting in March, we’re reducing the suggested retail price (SRP) of PS VR2.
Below are the new PS VR2 prices. The starting date of the new prices and bundle availability may vary by country/region, so be sure to check your local retailer for details.
In addition, with a recent update to PS VR2, it now supports low-latency hand tracking, which allows developers to create games that tracks a player’s hand position and movement through the cameras embedded on the PS VR2 headset. Through this new feature, players will be able to experience intuitive controls in supported games such asWaltz of the Wizard.
It’s a fantastic time to dive into the exciting world of PS VR2, with more immersive experiences still to come. What’s your favorite PS VR2 game so far?
At Sony Interactive Entertainment, we are committed to fostering innovation and creativity in game development across the globe. As part of our continued effort to support emerging talent, we are thrilled to announce a new set of indie games from the India Hero Project, featuring two exciting and ambitious titles: Bloody Boots and Lokko, both coming to PS5.
With these new titles the India Hero Project continues to shape the boundaries of storytelling, gameplay innovation, and artistic expression within the Indian gaming industry. Our goal is to not only support these developers in bringing their unique visions to life but also to help them reach a global audience on PlayStation.
Bloody Boots | Developer: Weloadin
Bloody Boots is a high-voltage third-person action-adventure game set in Crank Town, a dystopian entertainment hub powered by junk-punk advancements in biotech. This town thrives on illegal gambling and savage acts that push the limits of morality with twisted and chaotic activities.
Play as a fugitive teen trapped in Crank Town’s lawless mayhem. In a playground of ruthless mutants, mech-enhanced supervillains, and savage bosses. Fight to get your ticket out!
Prepare for adrenaline-pumped action, in development for PS5 and PC.
Lokko | Developer: Appy Monkeys
Lokko is a unique cross-platform 3D platformer where fun meets creativity. Players can create and share their custom characters, enemies, levels, and tracks using an intuitive in-game editor. The game features seamless integration with cross-platform features, allowing limitless play on PlayStation 5, PC, and iOS.
Help Lokko defeat the evil Goobol corporation to deliver the world’s best pizzas. Challenge other players’ best runs, unleash your creativity, and leverage the power of DualSense on all three platforms. Players can trade their creations, compete against each other, and be the one who makes the most fun, unique, and creative level. Endless fun and possibilities await!
Lokko is in development for PS5, PC and iOS.
Join us in celebrating the next wave of incredible talent from India and stay tuned for more news about the India Hero Project!
