Source: IGN
Introduction
Sony's latest broadcast event concluded without delivering updates on several high-profile first-party projects, leaving followers disappointed. The broadcast was particularly notable for the absence of major titles, anchored by Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and a wave of other missing PlayStation exclusives.
Enthusiasts tuned in expecting substantial demonstrations from premier internal studios. Instead, the presentation omitted several heavily anticipated games currently in development under the Sony umbrella.
What Happened
The September 2026 PlayStation State of Play came and went without offering a single glimpse of Naughty Dog's upcoming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Observers had anticipated a grand finale featuring the new intellectual property, especially following recent communications from the development team.
Beyond Naughty Dog's absence, the showcase bypassed numerous other major first-party initiatives. Productions tied to prominent franchises and newly minted multiplayer ventures were entirely left off the running order.
Background
Naughty Dog recently broke its silence regarding Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet to confirm that performance capture had wrapped up. Prior to that milestone, the studio had last shipped an entirely new release in 2020 with The Last of Us Part II, spending intervening years on various remakes and a now-canceled multiplayer spinoff.
Other absent titles carry their own complicated production histories. God of War Laufey missed the broadcast despite arriving within six months of its scheduled launch window, following a substantial showing at a previous event in July.
Meanwhile, Sony's multiplayer Horizon project, titled Horizon Hunters Gathering, was also absent. Recent reports indicated corporate dissatisfaction following public playtests, prompting a strategic pivot away from a strict live-service model toward cooperative gameplay infused with a dedicated story mode.
Timeline
| Studio or Game | Milestone / Context |
|---|---|
| Media Molecule | Six years elapsed since shipping their last video game. |
| Sony Bend | Seven years passed since the launch of Days Gone. |
| Naughty Dog | Last launched an entirely new game in 2020 with The Last of Us 2. |
| Jade Raymond | Departed Haven Studios last year following external test concerns. |
| Fairgame Creative Director | Exited Haven Studios mid-development a few months after Raymond's departure. |
| Star Wars: Battlefront 2 | Published by EA in 2017, marking Jade Raymond's last shipped game. |
| Grand Theft Auto 6 | Scheduled for release in two months alongside marketing highlighting its performance on PS5. |
Key Details
Questions surround Fairgame, the live-service heist game engineered by Haven Studiosâan organization founded by Assassin's Creed co-creator Jade Raymond. Leadership changes have plagued the project, marked by the departures of both Raymond and the initiative's creative director during development.
Bungie faced its own share of absence during the broadcast with Marathon. Following a decade of Destiny 2 operations and severe restructuring that included nearly 300 layoffs at its Bellevue, Washington headquarters, public clarity regarding Marathon's future remains scarce as player numbers decline.
Additionally, extended radio silence persists regarding Media Molecule and Sony Bend. Media Molecule has not launched a title in six years, while Sony Bend has remained quiet for seven years following the release of Days Gone.
Impact
The continuous string of absences has fueled speculation regarding the internal state of Sony's development pipeline. Live-service pivots, leadership departures, and studio restructuring have cast uncertainty over several major corporate bets.
Community frustration has manifested across digital chat rooms, with viewers actively spamming requests for projects like Destiny 3. The overarching strategy regarding Bungie and its remaining properties continues to face public scrutiny.
What Happens Next
External industry pressures provide alternative context for the muted first-party presentation. In a matter of two months, Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch as the generational blockbuster, backed by promotional materials emphasizing that the title plays best on the PlayStation 5.
While today's presentation lacked major internal announcements, industry observers note that upcoming timing around blockbuster third-party releases may have influenced Sony's promotional schedule.
