Thar be no room for landlubbers here. Get ready to start a golden age pirate’s journey taking you from shipwrecked nobody to kingpin when Skull and Bones launches February 16 on PlayStation 5, with an Open Beta running from February 8-11*. The development team at Ubisoft Singapore has been hard at work ensuring that the Skull and Bones experience is as immersive as possible on PS5, thanks to features like 3D audio, adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, and more.

We sat down with Skull and Bones Technical Director Jussi Markkanen to find out how these features are utilized to make Skull and Bones such a unique adventure on the PS5, where the only thing missing is the smell of the salty sea.

PlayStation Blog: What is the backstory behind the title of Skull and Bones beyond the infamous Jolly Roger reference?

Markkanen: Skull and Bones is set in an unforgiving environment, during the tumultuous Golden Age of Piracy, in a world inspired by the Indian Ocean. Here peril awaits at every turn, and you will need to leverage every opportunity available to endure and flourish in this harsh world.

The title Skull and Bones reflects the gritty approach that we’re bringing to the pirate fantasy, as you begin your journey a shipwrecked nobody, and have to plunder and outsmart your way to become the most fearsome pirate kingpin.

How are the DualSense controller’s haptics used in Skull and Bones?

In Skull and Bones, naval combat is at the heart of the experience. You are able to equip a multitude of powerful weapons to outgun other ships, attack forts, and take down legendary sea monsters.

On the PS5, naval combat really comes alive with the DualSense wireless controller when using the adaptive triggers. From sea fires and giant ballistae, to rocket launchers and mortars, you will be able to experience the different tensions of the triggers as you fire a variety of different weapons.

For example, faster-firing arsenal such as ballista or carronade require only a light pull on the adaptive triggers. The weight of the long guns or sea fire are communicated through a stronger resistance, while the adaptive triggers translate the heft of your heaviest arsenal, such as of bombards or rockets, ensuring that every shot you fire is Skull and Bones feels satisfying and unique.

The controller also rumbles in specific locations based on where your weapons are firing and where you’re taking damage. When an enemy launches a volley of cannons at your starboard, you’ll feel the intensity of the attack in your hands as you see it on screen.

Do you have any setup recommendations for players using the customizable DualSense Edge wireless controller?

One option could be mapping the spyglass shortcut! An important tool in any pirate’s kit is their spyglass. It allows them to glean more information about the world, including scoping out enemy weaknesses and identifying new opportunities such as bountiful trade routes.

How was PS5’s 3D Audio implemented into Skull and Bones’ gameplay?

3D Audio has allowed us to push boundaries in how you hear our game. For example, you can pinpoint the arc of incoming mortar fire, letting you decide whether to dodge or brace for impact against these powerful attacks.

Be sure to pay attention to your crew as well, who will often call out loot floating in the water – thanks to 3D Audio, you’ll never have to wonder exactly where that loot is.

Also, did we mention that they’ll sing sea shanties on command? Because they will! Map it to your quick action wheel and with a tap of the D-Pad you’ll hear one of 30 shanties sung in Bahasa Indonesia, Malagasy, English, and French!

How does PS5’s SSD speed add to the pirating adventure in Skull & Bones?

In Skull and Bones, you’ll chase the horizon across everything from clear blue-water shoals to violent raging storms as you sail from the coast of Africa to the East Indies. Made solely for current-generation consoles, Skull and Bones allows you to explore its vast open world in 4K at a targeted 60fps.

With the ultra-fast SSD, players will be able to transition from outposts and dens, to the vast Indian Ocean even faster! This will help create an even more immersive experience on the high seas, as players will be able to set sail, explore, and engage in epic naval battles seamlessly.

What is one example of a super granular, nerdy detail about pirate culture that you want to make sure players know about?

For Skull and Bones, we wanted to reinject the defiance, tension, and brutality of piracy back into the genre. Pirates were survivors, ordinary men and women who wanted to challenge the status quo and decide their own fate. Based on our research, the pirates in the Indian Ocean were also enterprising in nature, building their trade throughout the region for intel and seizing resources for their own gain. They came from all around the world including from the Indian Ocean, interacting with locals from different regions; which is something we sought to portray in our game.

Skull and Bones’ release date has changed a few times. What’s an example of a specific gameplay feature you’re thankful the team had more time to work on or a new gameplay feature that extra development time has allowed you to create?

Creating a new IP is as fulfilling as it is challenging and takes time to fully develop.

We’ve been iterating on the version you’ll see on February 16, by working closely with our community through the Insider Program and regular user tests. The community feedback we received has helped us to improve the game, especially in our co-op, naval combat, and gameplay variety.

Our game already has an amazing solo experience, and the time has allowed us to make additional investments in enhancing the co-op experience. This includes ensuring the entire game can be played in co-op and adding the Call for Help feature, just to name a few.

We’ve continued to add depth to our weapon system and further enhance naval combat, making each weapon choice feel unique, and encouraging different playstyles.

Additionally, we were able to expand our gameplay variety with more fantastical activities for you to enjoy, such as ghost ships, and sea monsters.

Finally, you can also look forward to new events and features in our seasonal post-launch.

Pre-order the Premium Edition to start playing up to three days early 

Pre-order Skull and Bones on PlayStation Store today. Those who pre-order the Premium Edition will get to play the game up to three days early starting February 13, and will get access to the Premium Bonus Pack, two extra missions, a Smugglers Pass Token, Digital Artbook, and Digital Soundtrack.

Can you believe it? Ten years of tanks! The game known today as World of Tanks Modern Armor officially made its debut in the console arena on February 12, 2014.

As one of the first free-to-play titles available on consoles, WoTMA (or just “World of Tanks,” as it was known then!) helped lay the foundation for experiences that PlayStation players would enjoy over the next decade. Of course, the game couldn’t have come as far as it has without the support of a thriving community… or without the efforts of a dedicated staff.

In fact, several of our Wargaming staff members who were present for the game’s early days are still part of the team today. Together, they’re taking a look back at the game’s history and a sneak peek at what’s ahead during the year-long event we’re calling Celebrations.

The past

It takes more than a few people to bring a game like World of Tanks to market, but five who made the game what it is today are:

• Andy Dorizas, Art Director
• Valerie MacCracken, Director of LiveOps Operations
• Ben Crawford, Senior Player Experience Manager
• JJ Bakken, Senior Producer
• L. Daniel Burr, Live Game Director

Any of them will tell you that hard work and scrappiness were key to their efforts. Valerie MacCracken, who started at Wargaming in 2011 in a customer support role, drives the point home, saying, “The first North American office was brand new when I joined, and there were only maybe fifteen employees; I recall that on one of my first days, we assembled furniture for the lobby area!”

Physical infrastructure for various offices wasn’t the only challenge; there were technical challenges in developing the game, too. According to Andy Dorizas, who was Lead Artist at Day 1 Studios before it became Wargaming Chicago, “We had to trim things down just to get it to run on early hardware. Art assets had to be shrunk or compressed. Levels had to be simplified… It was a seriously large mountain to climb.”

JJ Bakken, who joined the Chicago studio as an Associate Producer in 2013, adds another issue the team faced: the novelty of what Wargaming was doing! “This was the studio’s first time developing a free-to-play game, and it was early in the days of F2P on console platforms,” he says. “Figuring out a new genre and a new way to connect with game players is always challenging, but exciting at the same time.”

How did they do it? MacCracken says that the process was gradual, “with the alpha, beta, [a] soft launch in certain regions, and then [the] full launch happening, back-to-back.” She also ran what she calls a “super-secret” forum, available only to early testers. “When I saw the passion that the game was creating among our early testers, many of which are still around today, I knew we had something good going.”

Bakken echoes this: “…there is always extra trepidation on launching a live-service game (will the servers perform, etc.), so we were hopeful all our technical efforts would be rewarded. Spoilers: it went pretty well and here we still are, ten years later!”

The future

Ben Crawford, who started with Wargaming Europe ten years ago as a Customer Experience Manager, is excited about the changes he sees in WoTMA’s technology and services, saying, “The evolution is evident in the updated portal [website], new support tools, expanded capabilities outside the game, and enhanced in-game features.”

Daniel Burr, who began at Wargaming as a Solution Architect managing network services, notes, however, that development brings new opportunities, and not just for Wargaming: “Ten years ago, the F2P space on consoles was very new, and so there were no console-specific best practices upon which to lean. Today, F2P on consoles is a much more thoroughly understood model, and new F2P games take full advantage of that.”

So, progress and challenges alike lie ahead, but WoTMA is prepared to embrace it all, starting with the Celebrations event!

At the heart of Celebrations is a dedicated website that will allow players to track their progress in each season throughout 2024, starting with the Lunar New Year-themed Year of the Dragon season that launched on January 30. Players will also be able to compare and share stats with their friends and work toward not one but two special reward tanks that will be awarded when Celebrations ends.

That’s not all. February brings players opportunities to claim two new 10th anniversary tanks, the Lago M38 and the MBT-B, complete the first Celebrations Monthly Challenge (as an Anniversary event with shared community goals and rewards), and so much more.

In the end, every aspect of Celebrations is intended to commemorate what makes WoTMA special: not the tanks (as much as we love them), but the people. “Not very many industry folks can say they’ve been at the same company for over a decade, but we have this stability that allows us to build bridges not only between each other, but between us and our community as well,” says MacCracken.

The game’s big ten-year anniversary is underway. Join us for the Celebrations!

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the newest installment in the Final Fantasy VII remake project and one of 2024’s most-anticipated games, tells the tale of main protagonist Cloud Strife and his loyal companions who explore a massive world outside Midgar, the city of Mako, as they pursue Sephiroth, one of the most iconic antagonists in video game history. 

Ahead of the full game’s release on February 29, the demo releasing today allows you to not only take control of the protagonist, Cloud, but take full control of the legendary swordsman Sephiroth in battle. You will be able to play as Sephiroth as part of the extended flashback section, as Cloud recalls an earlier mission in his career as a Soldier – the Nibelheim incident. Taking place several years before the events of the game, this will set the stage for several important moments within Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. What’s more, we’re planning to release an update later this month that will allow you to explore part of the Junon region before the release of the full game on February 29. We hope you’ll take this opportunity to venture into the world of Final Fantasy VII!

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Today’s State of Play includes a new trailer focusing on the story of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth alongside around 11 minutes of never-before seen gameplay. This footage includes the world premiere of many unseen elements of the game: an overview of the world map, ways to get around the expansive world including a wide range of vehicles and mounts, varied exploration, minigames, and much more.

It’s a must-see, both for those excitedly awaiting Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and those who have yet to dive into the world of Final Fantasy VII.

Highlights from the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth gameplay 

The around 11 minutes of gameplay footage showcases the following elements of the game:

The stage for your new adventure: a gigantic world map, connected seamlessly

The stage for the adventure of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a gigantic world map, constructed of several areas seamlessly joined together.

The footage showcases a wide range of ways to get around the expansive map, from Chocobos – that Final Fantasy series mainstay – to buggies and wheelies. Chocobos will be of particular help to Cloud and his companions, since they have different abilities in each area. Some can swim through raging currents, jump over mushroom footholds, or even scale sheer cliffs.

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Many points of interests to explore on the world map

In the vast field areas, there are all kinds of points of interest to explore that will call to your sense of adventure. Broadly speaking, the first category is World Intel – where you survey the world, fighting fearsome foes and seeking out various resources or hidden treasures as you go. The second type is odd jobs, which delve deeper into the world and characters. Today, we’ve introduced sanctuaries, which reveal knowledge on this game’s summons, helping Cloud and his companions conquer them to subsequently call on their power in battle.

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Unique and colorful minigames scattered throughout different regions of the world

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has a diverse range of minigames all throughout its world. And they’re of an even greater scale than the many minigames in the original Final Fantasy VII! The development team’s recommendation is the card game Queen’s Blood, and you can collect cards from the early part of the game, so you can enjoy thinking up and building a powerful deck that’s unique to you. Some of the minigames are just as fun to watch as they are to play, so they’re perfect to play when you feel like taking a breather from the main story.

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Epic cinematic storytelling with stunning graphics

The emotional storytelling experience has been refined even further in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The high-quality, rich graphics that use the PlayStation 5 console’s ultra-fast SSD to its fullest can show the subtle nuances of the emotional state of the characters, further elevating the narrative experience its depiction of Cloud and his companions forging ever-stronger bonds. 

More detailed and nuanced facial animations will lend additional depth to the characters’ journeys, especially as Cloud and his friends face down the destiny that awaits them at their story’s end.

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New and improved ways to deepen your relationships with your companions through gameplay

The bonds between the characters established over the course of the story are now important to all aspects of gameplay. Cloud’s relationship with his companions will change according to his actions and dialogue choices, impacting most notably the well-loved date event scene from the original game. In addition to date partners players of the original Final Fantasy VII can expect, the team has prepared some new partners plus an expanded date sequence within the Gold Saucer, so there’s plenty to look forward to. And if you increase your party level, which shows the bond between the entire team, characters will be able to achieve their true potential in combat. There are lots of synergy skills that characters with a close relationship can perform, so you can overwhelm foes with your favorite characters and special moves.

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The footage from State of Play also reveals plenty of other content that we didn’t cover in this blog, so it’s definitely worth a watch. And if this piqued your interest, we hope you’ll experience the new and expanded world of Final Fantasy VII in the demo, released today.

It’s not long now until the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on Thursday February 29. We’re so excited to be able to get this game into your hands and for you to play the game for yourselves!

The Helldivers universe is one of noble soldiers, heroic deeds, and heartfelt, unflinching patriotism in the face of giant acid-spewing bug monsters.

“I personally love writing for a game with opportunities for comedy, and that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I hope I can find a game like that soon…”

– Stephen Flowers, Game Writer, Arrowhead Game Studios

If you want to catch up with the story of Super Earth and her valiant defenders before Helldivers 2 launched on February 8, read on. Plus, we share the first news that the story will continue in post-launch Helldivers 2 updates.

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Since Helldivers…

Helldivers 2 takes place a century after the events of the first game, with Super Earth having emerged victorious against its adversaries – the deadly, bug-like Terminids, the grotesque Cyborgs and the inscrutable Illuminates. With its foes vanquished and the Galactic War won, an era of peace and prosperity ensued. The Helldivers, Super Earth’s elite task force, were dismissed.

Super Earth entered its most peaceful and prosperous years.

The same faster-than-light travel technology, heroically liberated from the Illuminates, that gave Super Earth access to the galaxy, has since been used to colonize it. This period has come to be known as The Great Democratization. FTL technology is reliant on a steady supply of the precious substance E-710 which, luckily, can be found in decomposing Terminid bodies. So naturally, Super Earth has been farming Terminids on an industrial scale. 

The success of Super Earth depends on the hard work of citizens.

Why Super Earth needs you

In a shocking turn of events, the Terminids have broken free of their farms and begun spreading throughout the galaxy. The Super Earth Armed Forces have been struggling to quarantine them on their farm planets, but are stretched thin – so when a mysterious new enemy enters the fray, Super Earth has no choice but to mobilize the Helldivers once again. 

The Automatons are fully mechanized soldiers of a kind never seen before. But their emblem is eerily familiar …

It is now up to you, Helldiver, to don your cape and take back Super Earth’s colonies once and for all. You will be fighting these vile, freedom-hating foes on two fronts, as Super Earth works to implement a solution to the Terminid scourge.

Super Earth calls upon the Helldivers once again.

Doing your part

As the Helldivers battle the foes of Super Earth, you will not only change the face of the galaxy, but the course of its history. Super Earth will issue global, time-sensitive Major Orders, challenging all players to work together to achieve large-scale goals, the outcome of which will shape the story going forward. Meaning, the story is not something that happens to players, but something the players themselves have to actively make happen.

“What’s unique about the story of Helldivers 2 is that it’s driven by the player community. Planning for that is a huge challenge – we have what we think will happen, but we ultimately can’t control what the players do. Which as a player I find cool, but as a writer I find really scary.

As for the story ahead, all I can say is that the galaxy will look very different a few months from now than it does today.“

– Stephen Flowers, Game Writer, Arrowhead Game Studios

Can the Helldivers pull together to defend vital strategic outposts against overwhelming numbers, or complete grand story missions before another faction makes their move? Not only time, but the blood, sweat and mangled bodies of Helldivers will tell.

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The continuing war

Super Earth’s struggle for supremacy doesn’t end there—your future as a Helldiver is secure! There’s so much more to come as we expand the game’s content offering. We’re excited to confirm that as players fight in the Galactic War, they will also witness events unfold through our planned free updates. The universe of Helldivers 2 will grow and change to give our players refreshed gameplay, introducing new tools, new challenges, and new threats from around the galaxy.

Helldivers 2 releases on PS5 and PC this Thursday, February 8. Pre-load is available on both platforms today.

PSN account required. Gameplay requires internet access and paid for PlayStation®Plus membership (sold separately) on PS5. PlayStation Plus membership subject to recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/psplus-usageterms.

Before radios, television sets, and the internet, physical newspapers were the primary source of news and information. Black newspapers and the Black press not only documented Negro Leagues history, in addition, the newspapers were also a source of pride in the black community. (You can learn more here)

Without these newspapers and the pioneering baseball writers, the Negro Leagues wouldn’t have survived. They preserved this often overlooked chapter of American and baseball history. This year’s collector’s edition theme is a tribute to those who helped give a voice to the voiceless.

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San Diego Studio x Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

We are also excited to announce our continued partnership with The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. MLB The Show will donate $1 for every Negro Leagues Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, and MVP edition sold in the US until 12/31/24 to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Donations will help the Museum continue its work, which is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America. Visit www.nlbm.com to learn more. This purchase is not tax deductible.

The Negro Leagues Edition (Retailers in the US and Canada)

The Negro Leagues Edition is $124.99 USD/$164.99 CAD and is available at retailers in the US and Canada. Stock is limited, so be sure to get yours while supplies last.

Pre-order now at https://theshow.com/purchase/. Early access begins March 15, 2024.

The Negro Leagues Edition includes:

• Full Game (Access to both PS4 and PS5*)
• Limited Edition Physical Steelbook
• Limited Edition New Era MLB The Show 9FIFTY
• [4] Days Early Access – Begins March 15, 2024
• Double Daily Login Rewards (For the life cycle of MLB The Show 24)
• [1] Barrier Breakers Diamond Choice Pack
• [1] Legend Diamond Choice Pack
• [5] Gold Choice Packs
• [1] Equipment Pack
• [1] Cover Athlete Bat Skin
• [20] The Show Packs
• [20,000] Stubs for MLB The Show 24

This year’s limited edition New Era MLB The Show 9FIFTY hat and physical Steelbook are inspired by the newspapers and retro game posters of the 1930s and 1940s. Check out the pictures below.

Please note that The Negro Leagues Edition of MLB The Show 24 on PlayStation consoles includes a voucher code for the PS5 & PS4 versions of the game, the Digital Deluxe Edition content, as well as a physical Steelbook case and New Era hat.

Digital Deluxe Edition (Digital Platform Stores / PlayStation Store)

The Digital Deluxe Edition returns to the PlayStation Store for our digital fans. It is $99.99 USD/$129.99 CAD. For those of you who need packs, on packs, on packs, this is the edition for you.

The Digital Deluxe Edition includes:

• Full Game (Access to both PS4 and PS5*)
• [4] Days Early Access – Begins March 15, 2024
• Double Daily Login Rewards (For the life cycle of MLB The Show 24)
• [1] Barrier Breakers Diamond Choice Pack
• [1] Legend Diamond Choice Pack
• [5] Gold Choice Packs
• [1] Equipment Pack
• [1] Cover Athlete Bat Skin
• [20] The Show Packs
• [20,000] Stubs for MLB The Show 24
• MVP Edition (Digital Platform Stores / PlayStation Store)

The MVP Edition returns for MLB The Show 24. For those of you looking for a head-start on your first pitch, the MVP edition is for you. The MVP Edition is $84.99 USD / $109.99 CAD (MSRP).

The MVP Edition includes:

• Full Game (Access to both PS4 and PS5*)
• [4] Days Early Access – Begins March 15, 2024
• Double Daily Login Rewards (For the life cycle of MLB The Show 24)
• [1] Barrier Breakers Diamond Choice Pack
• [1] Equipment Pack
• [1] Cover Athlete Bat Skin
• [10] The Show Packs
• [10,000] Stubs for MLB The Show 24

We are excited about MLB The Show 24, which will be released soon on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch consoles. Be sure to get your copy today, and gather your friends for a new class of Legends and new ways to play.

Pre-order now available for MLB The Show 24 at PS Store. Early access begins March 15, 2024.

For the latest updates about MLB The Show, check TheShow.com, sign up for The Scouting Report, and follow our X, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. Additional detailed information on MLB The Show 24, including an important update on year-to-year savings and more, can be found on our announcement FAQ here.

*Includes PS4 & PS5 voucher code (no disc included). An internet connection is required to redeem download code.

As the new year kicks into high gear with an amazing slate of PS5 game releases like The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Tekken 8 and Helldivers 2, along with FINAL FANTASY VII Rebirth later this month, we’re pleased to roll out another PS5 system software beta today with a number of quality-of-life enhancements and new features.

While beta access is limited to invited participants in select countries*, we plan to release the update globally in the coming months. If you’re selected to participate in the beta, you’ll receive an email invitation today when it’s available to download. Some features available during the beta phase may not make it into the final version or may see significant changes.

Let’s jump in to the newly added features:

DualSense wireless controller built-in mic and speaker audio enhancements

We’ve updated the device software of the DualSense and DualSense Edge wireless controllers to improve their sound features.

• Controller speaker enhancements. The controller speakers can now produce higher volume sound, allowing you to hear in-game sounds and voice chat audio more clearly.
• Improved noise cancellation. The mic input quality on these controllers has been improved, courtesy of a new AI machine learning model. Background noise from button presses and game audio are suppressed, resulting in a better voice chat experience. Install the system software beta and update the controller device software to enjoy enhanced clarity of your voice chat audio when using the controller mic.
• With this update, you may feel that the sounds coming from your controller speaker may sound louder. You can adjust the controller speaker volume from the control center.

Share Screen Interactions

Players watching Share Screen in full screen mode can now use pointers and emoji reactions to interact with the host’s gameplay.

• Viewers can move a pointer around, send a ping or draw a line on the shared screen, allowing them to highlight certain objects or areas to guide the host player more accurately.
• Viewers can send emoji-based reactions to the host’s screen to visually encourage and celebrate gameplay actions.
• Note: this feature is available by default but can be turned off by the host in the Share Screen settings. Both the host and the viewer must be participating in the beta to use this feature during the beta period.

Adjust Brightness of PS5 Power Indicator

You can now adjust the brightness of your PS5 console’s power indicator.

• Go to [Settings] > [System] > [Beep and Light], and then select [Brightness].

A heartfelt thank you to our community for always providing valuable feedback and supporting our beta programs. We’re excited to hear your thoughts!

*PS5 beta access will be available to selected participants in the U.S., Canada, Japan, U.K., Germany and France (same countries as our last system software beta).

Until Then is an indie game with unexpectedly profound things to say and a breathtaking art style set among Philippine-inspired landscapes. Don’t mistake its simplistic controls for a lack of substance—from its addictively mundane minigames to its meaningful look at healing from trauma. This game has the potential to stand among the classics in the narrative adventure genre.

Until Then unravels a bittersweet story of mystery and tragedy, unpacking the trauma of loss through the eyes of the main character, high school student Mark Borja. In a world still recovering from catastrophe, Mark and his friends navigate the joys and woes of another year of high school—piano practice, homework deadlines, and school drama— as you reminisce about the daily insecurities of high school life.

That is, until a fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction, upending Mark’s life. People

disappear, and memories prove unreliable. You’ll work to uncover a hidden truth with Mark and his friends in this narrative adventure as you race to unravel the mystery before it’s too late.

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An emotional rollercoaster blending tearful moments with delightful fun

Throughout Until Then, you’ll meet a diverse and achingly familiar cast of characters to converse with in person, over text, and through email. Watch how their personal stories unfold alongside yours as you get to know them, build relationships, and possibly flunk group projects.

Weave through familiar, busy corridors in your school uniform, wake to the roosters’ crows, and calls for Tahooooo! (a popular local sweet snack) and, of course, don’t miss the train for your morning commute. Immerse yourself in the sights and songs of the daily lives of Filipino students, barreling their way through high school in a rich and intricate city inspired by Metro Manila and the developers’ alma maters.

Attribution: Rizal Provincial Government 

The game confronts you with philosophical issues as you walk alongside Mark as he makes mistakes and struggles to heal his wounds and let go of the past. Decide how Mark grows and strives to improve throughout the story.

Moments of relief from tear-jerking topics come in the form of comical and engaging minigames that you won’t want to put down. Insert a flash drive—oh wait, wrong way—nope, it was right the first time. Help Mark practice for his piano recital. Enjoy minigames inspired by Filipino life as well: Fight your friend for more fishballs at the food stand outside. Get in the groove to pay for the jeepney, a unique local mode of transport. Until Then lets you lose yourself in little games you play in everyday life.

Uncomplicated side-scrolling mechanics

You are seamlessly guided through the world of Until Then as you walk your character through the environment and interact with items and people. The dialogue—chatting with friends or texting with your in-game smartphone—often drives the story forward with new information and context for the strange occurrences Mark starts to experience. You can also explore the depths of social media, where your likes and comments may pose consequences. Scrolling through social posts, emails, and webpages might reveal further hints and clues about the people and world around you, so keep your eyes peeled.

Investigating the mystery will take you to all sorts of places, from a warm evening playing games at the local fair to the ruins of a coastal town marred by catastrophe. Take your time to walk around, see the sights, and interact with the environment to discover more about this bright and vivid world.

Concept Art provided by Polychroma Games

A love letter from the developers

Polychroma Games is a team of talented developers based in the Philippines, entwining the interactivity of play and the power of stories. Until Then was born from our desire to create stories that only games can tell.

The game itself is a love letter to youth in the Philippines. From small details in the background to major motifs in the setting of the fictional cities of Liamson and Bonifacio, we wanted to show a world that would celebrate the rich and diverse culture that shaped our own lives.

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Attribution: Google Maps

We also wanted emotions that would resonate—a story familiar to everyone, which would resound in anyone’s heart even after playing. We wanted to tell a story of growing up, navigating relationships as time changes us, and coming to terms with loss.

Creating this game and its story wasn’t easy. It involved quite a few leaps of faith, and trusting that people would see and feel the heart we put into it, that people would want to see a story about some random kids in a Philippines touched by tragedy. Prepare to be swept off your feet into immersive storytelling, stunning pixelated visuals, intricate plots, and unforgettable characters when you come face-to-face with the mysterious world of Until Then. Wishlist Until Then now on PS5.

Last week, we asked you to share new skins unlocked in The Last of Us Part II Remastered’s No Return mode using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

RevolutionAndre shares Ellie facing forward in the Astronaut skin

secondcapture shares Abby looking up through aviator sunglasses in the Bomber skin

W3bmast3r_vp shares Ellie with her gun drawn and a spore mask on in the Savage Starlight skin

Morph__1 shares Abby looking down in the rain in the Eighties leather jacket skin

jabivgp shares Ellie wearing the red Plaid skin, looking at the camera with a spore mask on

SneakyMikeVP shares Abby looking over her shoulder in the Badlands skin

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:  Cool

SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 7, 2024

Next week, we’re feeling cool. 😎 Share moments with an undeniably cool character from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.