Sony's June 4 State of Play, packed with 40+ minutes of PS5 game trailers, remasters, and a few "wait, what?!" moments that lit up social media, exploded onto the summer gaming scene. While the PlayStation showcase lacked the megaton punch of a first-party exclusive reveal, it delivered a chaotic buffet of Japanese-developed gems, unexpected collaborations, and updates on fan-favorite franchises. From the triumphant return of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles to the baffling charm of Baby Steps, here's the full breakdown of what went down at the PlayStation State of Play June 2025, how fans reacted, and why this event might just reshape PS5's gaming outlook moving forward.
The Big Picture: Sony's Summer Gaming Gambit
Timing Is Everything (Even If It's Last-Minute)
Sony dropped this PlayStation State of Play like a mic the day before it aired—a bold move in an era where gaming fans demand months of teasers. Announced via a cheeky PlayStation Blog post and a flurry of tweets, the June 4, 2025 showcase strategically positioned itself as the opening salvo in a week packed with Summer Game Fest reveals. Clocking in at 40+ minutes of PS5 game reveals, it leaned hard into global partnerships, with over 80% of the runtime dedicated to Japanese studios and indie darlings.
The decision to stream on YouTube and Twitch simultaneously paid off, with concurrent viewership peaking at 1.2 million during the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls finale. But the real story? PlayStation's quiet shift toward becoming a curator of niche gaming experiences rather than just a PS5 blockbuster factory.
The Announcements That Set Gaming Twitter on Fire
Nostalgia Done Right: Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster
After years of fan campaigns and cryptic tweets from director Yasumi Matsuno, Square Enix finally delivered the goods: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles for PS5. Though the visuals looked more "polished PS2" than full remake, the gameplay trailer's orchestral rendition of "Antipyretic" broke RPG fans' brains. Social media erupted with memes of crying Moogles and trended #FFTacticsRemaster for 12 hours straight.
Fan Takeover:
"I've waited 27 years for this. My inner child is SOBBING." – @TacticsLoyalist (X)
Capcom's Moonlight Sonata: Pragmata PS5 Gameplay Resurfaces
Remember Pragmata? That mysterious 2020 PS5 teaser with the astronaut and the robot? It's alive! The new gameplay trailer revealed a tag-team combat system where players swap between Hugh and Diana mid-fight, hacking lunar drones while navigating zero-gravity puzzles. The catch? It's now targeting 2026, making it the Duke Nukem Forever of the PS5 era—but hey, at least it exists.
Grasshopper's Bloody Ballet: Romeo Is A Dead Man
Suda51's studio unleashed Romeo Is A Dead Man, a hyper-stylized PS5 action game that makes No More Heroes look tame. The game trailer featured a protagonist dual-wielding katana-guitars while decapitating cyborgs in a neon-drenched Tokyo. Reactions split harder than a Soulsborne gaming community:
Pro: "Peak Grasshopper chaos! Day one purchase!"
Con: "This feels like a PS3 game with a 4K texture pack."
Major Announcements You Missed
007 First Light: Bond Goes Hitman
IO Interactive revealed their long-awaited James Bond game, 007 First Light, showing a gorgeous Monaco-set stealth adventure with gadget-based gameplay and a young Bond origin story set for a 2026 release.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Release Window
Konami's remake of the PS2 classic showed impressive jungle environments and updated stealth mechanics, with confirmation of a Winter 2025 release date.
Nioh 3 Announcement Teaser
Team Ninja surprised fans with a brief but impactful teaser for Nioh 3, showing a new feudal Japanese setting with yokai-infested volcanic landscapes coming in 2026.
The Quiet Victories (And One Messy Controversy)
Ghost of Yōtei: Teased, Not Pleased
Despite leaks pointing to a gameplay deep dive, Sucker Punch's Ghost of Yōtei got mere seconds of screen time—a lingering shot of a snow-covered temple that left PS5 fans equal parts awed and annoyed. The silence fueled speculation that the game's October 2025 release date might slip further.
Baby Steps: Walking Simulator or Masterpiece?
The internet collectively scratched its head at Baby Steps, a PS5 indie game where you play as an aimless 30-something literally learning to walk. The gameplay trailer's deadpan humor ("Press X to stumble") sparked instant memes, but beneath the absurdity lies a surprisingly poignant narrative about adulting. Reddit's r/Games debated it for hours: "It's either genius or a $70 joke."
The Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls Backlash
Arc System Works' Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls closed the PlayStation showcase with a bang—a 2D fighting game merging MCU heroes with tokusatsu flair. While the PS5 gameplay dazzled (imagine Iron Man doing a Rider Kick), gaming purists roasted the roster:
"Why is Moon Knight here but no X-Men? Feels like a Disney+ ad." – @FightersNeverDie (X)
What Flopped (And Why Gaming Fans Are Mad)
The Missing First-Party Brigade
Sony's studios were conspicuously MIA from the State of Play. No Wolverine, no Horizon 3, not even a whisper of God of War. Gaming forums lit up with frustration:
"They spent 10 minutes on a VR puzzle game but couldn't show Wolverine? Priorities!" – ResetEra user SniktFan99
Silent Hill F's Vague Promise
Konami's Silent Hill F got a release date (September 25, 2025) and another trailer full of creepy dolls and unsettling Japanese horror imagery. PS5 horror fans appreciated the mood but demanded concrete gameplay details: "Just tell us if Pyramid Head's in it!"
The Verdict: A For Ambition, B+ For Execution
This PlayStation State of Play June 2025 proved Sony can still surprise PS5 gamers—for better and worse. While the lack of first-party heavyweights stung, the emphasis on Japanese gaming creativity and oddball experiments gave the show soul. As the dust settles, two questions linger:
Is PlayStation becoming a niche curator while Xbox chases blockbusters?
When will Bloodbourne 2 Be Announced?
For now, watch the full PlayStation showcase below and dive into the Final Fantasy Tactics gameplay trailer here. Just maybe skip the Baby Steps commentary until reviews drop in Fall 2025.