After a long wait, Sony has finally assembled another PlayStation Showcase. Having last aired in late 2021, these presentations are often longer affairs that include a heavy first-party game focus, as opposed to a shorter State of Play. This particular show will cover various PS5 and PSVR2 titles, with a mixture of first and third-party games sprinkled in. Expected appearances include Marvel's Spider-Man 2, some of the live-service titles Sony studios have been working on, and a variety of notable VR games.
Regardless of what is shown, this roughly one hour-long presentation should be a fitting equivalent to Sony's past E3 conferences. The PS5's upcoming first-party exclusive games list has been barren for a while, and a PlayStation Showcase is the perfect opportunity to correct that. Leaks and developer implications point to Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as a near-guarantee at the show thanks to its approaching but unannounced release date, though there is plenty of room at the PlayStation Showcase for more Marvel titles to appear.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine Segments Are Likely
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Sony's adaptations of Marvel's popular Spider-Man brand across the last console generation have produced multiple mainstream hits, partially owing to the work of Insomniac Games on Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The Ratchet & Clank studio is expected to continue its track record with Marvel's Spider-Man 2, a title featuring both Peter Parker and Miles as they team up against yet-unknown threats that will include Venom and Kraven the Hunter. Insomniac has already confirmed that the game will release in 2023, so the only reason it could possibly skip the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase is that it will have its own summer State of Play.
That isn't likely, and this PlayStation Showcase could push the Marvel festivities even further with another Insomniac title. Not only is the studio currently working on the next big Spider-Man game, but it's also been given the reins for Wolverine. Marvel's Wolverine currently exists as a brief teaser, but many assume it will feel like a more grounded take on the high-flying open world action-adventure Spider-Man titles. Wolverine's game hasn't been seen since the 2021 PlayStation Showcase, so an early trailer could be ready for the 2023 Showcase as well.
Skydance New Media’s Marvel Game Might Make A Surprise Appearance
Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine are the obvious suspects, but there is another high profile Marvel game in development at the moment. Marvel Entertainment revealed at the 2022 D23 event that it has partnered with Skydance New Media to produce a Marvel title that's somewhat experimental in its premise. This game is expected to feature Captain America, Black Panther, and a couple other heroes from Marvel's World War 2 era. Players will switch between these four characters throughout what has been described as a globe-trotting adventure.
Skydance's Marvel game may be even more mysterious than Insomniac's Wolverine title, as fans at least have the Spider-Man games and past Wolverine adaptations to base their expectations on. Only a teaser and a promise for more information exists for Skydance's project, but Sony's PlayStation Showcase presents a stage large enough to justify its appearance. It may not be ready for a proper showing until later in the year, but if all the Marvel games are collected in one block, then the developers could briefly appear to shed more light on the game. Regardless, Sony's May 2023 PlayStation Showcase is going to be big for Marvel fans even if it only shows Spider-Man 2, and the possibility of more is too exciting to ignore.
