Sony State of Play November Roundup

We’re hitting Game Awards season, folks! That means everyone and their neighbor’s cat wants to put out a Direct or some kind of showcase. This time, Sony’s latest State of Play, called “State of Play Japan,” covered an array of games focused on development in Japan and other Asian countries. We’ve got a lot to sift through, so let’s get into it.

First up, we have a trailer for Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, which we saw a little bit about during Summer Game Fest. The trailer showcases the colorful cast of characters that will be a part of DQVII’s story. There’s even a hint of a bit of time-adjacent shenanigans at work, too. Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined will be available on February 5^th, 2026. I can’t wait.

Next up is a surprising new cozy game called Inkonbini: One Store, Many Stories. You take on the role of a convenience store clerk in a small, quiet town. You’ll be stocking shelves, chatting with familiar regulars, and making choices that will change the story. Inkonbini: One Store, Many Stories will be available in April 2026.

We also got an update on Coffee Talk: Tokyo, which moves the popular Coffee Talk IP straight to a Japanese café! This time, not only will you be serving humans, but also Japanese yokai like the Yuki Onna and Kappa. Coffee Talk Tokyo will launch on March 5^th, 2026.

Next was two new reveals from the devs of BrokenLore. The first, BrokenLore: Unfollow, shines a light on the darker side of social media. You’ll play as Anne, who awakens in a “strange and unsettling house.” To escape, Anne will need to confront past trauma along with the lingering spirits that haunt her. BrokenLore: Unfollow launches January 16^th, 2026.

The second reveal was for BrokenLore: Ascend, the latest entry in the series. This installment adds a new climbing mechanic to the series and is set in Tokyo. It is centered around Ren and Yui, who are pursuing fame by climbing Tokyo Tower, hoping to post the video on a video-sharing site. However, a dangerous Yokai called the Rokurokubi awaits them at the top of the tower. BrokenLore: Ascend will be available in Summer 2026.

Koei Tecmo took the spotlight next with a trailer for Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake. The trailer showcased the English localization, which seemed pretty good if you ask me. It also showcased some of the changes from the original game, as well as the new graphical design. It will be available on March 12^th, 2026.

The next segment was a small interview about the Crimson Butterfly Remake. The interview detailed a few new things, such as the zoom and focus elements of the camera added for the remake. They also revealed the digital deluxe edition, with some cosmetic items as well as the soundtrack and digital artbook.

Koei Tecmo also revealed a new trailer for a new DLC for Dynasty Warriors: Origins. The Visions of Four Heroes DLC will be available on January 22^nd, 2026, and will be a major expansion to the game’s story and content. I’m not sure if this was available beforehand, but it seems like a female playable character will be a large part of the DLC as well.

Gran Turismo took the next spot with a new announcement. The Gran Turismo Power Pack was announced, revealing a new set of gameplay modes with more realistic racing elements, such as a “24-hour race.” The Power Pack will be available at the end of the year with the Spec III update. Additionally, the Gran Turismo World Finals will take place in Fukuoka on December 20^th.

Next was an indie darling called MotionRec, where you record your actions, then play them back in order to solve puzzles. MotionRec will be available on PlayStation in 2026.

The next Indie reveal was for Wandering Sword, a wonderful little Wuxia RPG I reviewed a while ago. It is coming to PS5 as a complete edition, containing all of its DLC. Wandering Sword will be coming to PS5 on May 28^th, 2026.

The AI: The Somnium Files series returns with No Sleep for Kaname Date. It is coming to PlayStation consoles, with Kaname Date investigating a missing Idol. No Sleep for Kaname Date will be released on PlayStation consoles on February 26^th, 2026.

The Tokyo Xtreme Racer series returns for the first time in 20 years. Racing in a sealed-off version of Tokyo, you’ll be fighting to overtake your opponents in high-speed races. Tokyo Xtreme Racer will be available on February 26^th, 2026.

Next was Bandai Namco Entertainment’s turn for some DLC news. Once Upon a Katamari is getting 2 DLC packs! The first is called the Katamari Damacy Series Dance Dance Remixes, and the second is Katamari Damacy Series Neo Remixes. Each pack offers five new remixed songs and 10 customization accessories for your Prince. Additionally, with each DLC release, a special set of accessories will be given to players who own the game, absolutely free. These two DLC packs will be available just in time for the end of the year, though no release date was given in the showcase.

Additionally, Sonic the Hedgehog has come to Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac. You’ll be able to play new stages that showcase Sonic’s speed, as well as gimmicks common in the Sonic franchise. There will also be a Dr. Eggman boss battle that awaits you. The collaboration content is available now!

Digimon Story: Time Stranger’s first DLC from the Season Pass has been announced. The “Additional Digimon and Episode Pack 1: Alternate Dimension” offers new Digimon and story content. Specifically, the new chapter unlocks five unique Digimon, and showcases a new story centered around certain key characters from the main game. This DLC pack will be available sometime this Winter, though no specific release has been given.

Super Robot Wars Y also has a DLC announcement. The first collaboration DLC comes in 3 segments: Galactic Whirlwind Bryger, The Big O, and Futo PI: Portrait of Kamen Rider Skull. DLC Pack 1 offers new missions and playable units, based around these 3 popular series. DLC Pack 1 will be available on November 21^st, 2025.

With the Bandai Namco DLC out of the way, we now move to our next segment. Monster Hunter Wilds’ 4^th free update will be released on December 16^th. The Giant Halberd Dragon Gogmazios will be added to the game for Hunters to… well, hunt. There will also be additions to the endgame and seasonal event content.

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds popped up next with an update. SpongeBob SquarePants is coming to the game, and he is bringing friends! The SpongeBob SquarePants pack will be available next week on November 20^th, 2025.

Back to regular announcements, we have a new trailer for Never Grave: The Witch and the Curse. This gory metroidvania-esque Rogue-like lets you use the witch’s hat to control monsters. You can also play with up to 4 players, making the experience easier…or more chaotic? There seems to be some kind of settlement/base-building element as well, giving it a semi-Terraria vibe. Never Grave: The Witch and the Curse will be available on March 5^th, 2026.

Next came another trailer for Arc System Works’ BlazBlue: Entropy Effect X. It will be available on February 12^th, 2026. It seems like another Rogue-like Metroidvania-type, following up after Entropy Effect. The showcase suggested it is a brand-new story, so I’m curious to see how it goes.

Damon and Baby was revealed next. A heart-warming adventure of a Demon Lord and a baby embarking on an adventure. This Twin-Stick-shooting Action RPG combines action and exploration while the demon lord protects his little baby companion. Damon and Baby will be released in Early 2026, but we don’t know much else yet.

The next reveal was a huge surprise for me. The Disgaea team has revealed Kyouran Makaism, an all-new 3D Action RPG. The main protagonist can turn defeated enemies into Familiars, altering his combat abilities by either fighting alongside them or turning them into weapons (presumably, this also affects exploration?). The art style (and some familiar enemies) is straight from the Disgaea playbook, so I’m very excited to see more. Kyouran Makaism will be released on January 29^th, 2026.

Next up, we got another look at Fate Trigger, the Tactical Hero Shooter (one of several) that we saw at Summer Game Fest. This trailer revealed two new characters, as well as a new map. Fate Trigger is coming in 2026, but my hopes for this one aren’t very high. The market is oversaturated already, and there are a lot of heavy hitters it has to compete with.

Octopath Traveler 0 showed off a new trailer ahead of its December launch date. The trailer showcased not only the villains of the game but also some of the town management elements new to this entry in the franchise. Octopath Traveler 0 is available on December 4^th, 2025. There is also a demo available today with save data that can carry over to the full version.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is next, with an announcement for the second beta test. It will be available during the first week of December. This announcement accompanied a new trailer and revealed that the second beta test will also allow players to try out Ghost Rider and Spider-Man. You can register for this second Closed Beta now.

Bandai Namco and FromSoftware came up next with Elden Ring Nightreign: The Forsaken Hollows. This seems to be a DLC with new characters, bosses, and all sorts of content. It will be available on December 4^th, 2025.

Closing out the show, they shifted to what I’d call a hardware segment “celebrating five years of PS5,” as they put it. They first highlighted Astro’s Playroom, as well as the DualSense controller. Then they shifted into discussing the PlayStation smartphone app, which offers some of the more social elements.

They also made a point of showing off the PS5’s backwards compatibility with PS4 games and other games in the PlayStation library. The PlayStation Remote player was also shown, reminding people (for some reason) that you can play your PlayStation on a smaller screen than a television.

Then they announced that they are announcing a gaming monitor that will be launching in the US and Japan. It comes with a built-in charging hook for your PS5 controller, for people who are averse to using a charging cable like the rest of us. The final announcement was for a PlayStation 5 that solely works in Japanese, for some reason?

With the end of the show, I have mixed feelings. The showcase was decent overall, but that hardware segment could have been an email. They don’t need to make a gaming monitor specifically for your PS5. You can buy a monitor from Sony, use an HDMI cable, and use a charging cable to charge your controller. This makes no sense. As for the Japanese-only PS5, I don’t understand the need for it, but maybe there’s a cultural thing I’m not understanding. You can watch the full showcase below.