The September 2026 State of Play is officially happening, and Sony is making it much bigger than a normal PlayStation showcase. Two broadcasts will air back-to-back on September 3, bringing PlayStation Studios updates, third-party games and an extended look at Final Fantasy VII Revelation.
The timing is also interesting for another reason. Sony enters the show while its decision to stop producing physical discs for newly released PlayStation games from January 2028 continues to cause backlash, with a new report claiming the issue even created some tension around PlayStation marketing at Gamescom.
Sony Is Giving Players Two State of Play Shows
The main State of Play begins on September 3 at 6:00 a.m. PT / 9:00 a.m. ET. Sony says the show will include announcements and updates from PlayStation Studios and third-party partners. The company has not revealed the full lineup, which leaves plenty of room for surprises. The presentation will then end with an extended look at Final Fantasy VII Revelation.
State of Play returns on September 3, followed immediately by State of Play Japan!
Full details on the back-to-back broadcasts: https://t.co/qP8dscEuP5 pic.twitter.com/9O99ezdLOj
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) August 31, 2026
That already makes the event important. Instead of giving Square Enix another short trailer, Sony is giving the final part of the show to a deeper look at one of PlayStation’s biggest upcoming games. As soon as that broadcast ends, another one begins.
State of Play Japan Starts Right After
Sony will immediately follow the main presentation with State of Play Japan. The second show focuses on developers from Japan and other parts of Asia. Sony promises new gameplay, deeper looks at upcoming games and additional announcements.
Running both events together gives PlayStation much more room than trying to squeeze everything into one show. The first presentation can handle Sony’s wider global lineup, while the Japan show gives Asian developers their own spotlight. Sony has not announced every game appearing in either broadcast, so fans should be careful with supposed “leaked” game lists appearing before September 3.
Final Fantasy VII Revelation Gets the Biggest Confirmed Spotlight
For now, Final Fantasy VII Revelation is the biggest game Sony has officially confirmed for the main presentation.
Square Enix has already shown that the final part of its Final Fantasy VII remake project will expand the world further, but there are still major questions about exploration, combat and how the story will bring the trilogy together.
The extended segment could answer some of those questions. Ending a State of Play with one game usually means Sony expects it to be one of the biggest moments of the broadcast. That also gives Final Fantasy VII Revelation a huge audience just as PlayStation starts looking toward its 2027 lineup.
Wolverine Makes the Timing Even Better
The showcase also arrives less than two weeks before Marvel’s Wolverine launches on September 15. Insomniac has already shown a lot of the game recently, including Logan’s Rage system, Special Techniques, different claws, suits, New Game Plus and Mission Replay.
Sony has not confirmed Wolverine for the September 3 State of Play, so another appearance should not be treated as guaranteed. Still, the timing works perfectly for PlayStation. Sony can use the showcase to talk about what comes next while one of its biggest PS5 exclusives of 2026 is almost ready to launch.
But Sony Has Another Issue Following It Into September
While Sony prepares to promote upcoming games, its physical-disc decision is still creating noise around the PlayStation brand.
Sony previously announced that new PlayStation games released from January 2028 will move to digital-only distribution, while games released before that date are not affected. The move caused immediate criticism from players who prefer physical ownership, collecting, lending games or buying used copies.
Now MP1st reports that the reaction may have reached Gamescom as well. According to claims shared by insider Nash Weedle, negative reactions around Sony’s physical strategy were noticeable during the event and may be affecting how PlayStation thinks about its marketing.
The report also claims some third-party developers would rather avoid becoming caught in the backlash surrounding PlayStation posts. Those claims remain unverified, and Sony has not publicly confirmed that studios are pulling away from PlayStation because of the disc decision.
The Backlash Could Make Sony’s Showcase More Interesting
Even without confirmation of the Gamescom claims, the wider backlash is real. PlayStation social posts have regularly attracted comments from players unhappy about the 2028 move. Sony has already said it plans to move forward cautiously, but it has not announced that the decision has changed.
That creates an unusual background for the September State of Play. Sony wants players focused on new PS5 games, Final Fantasy VII Revelation and whatever surprises appear during the two broadcasts.
Some of those same players are still arguing about how they will be allowed to buy PlayStation games in the future. The State of Play probably will not address that issue directly, but the discussion is unlikely to disappear simply because new trailers start playing.
September 3 Could Tell Us a Lot About PlayStation’s Next Year
The main reason to watch is still the games. Sony has two broadcasts, PlayStation Studios announcements, third-party updates and a major Final Fantasy VII Revelation presentation ready for September 3.
The show could also start giving players a clearer picture of what PS5 looks like after Wolverine launches. The physical-games controversy adds an interesting problem in the background, but it should not overshadow what Sony has actually confirmed for the event.
PlayStation needs September 3 to get players excited about what comes next. With two State of Play broadcasts on the same day, Sony is giving itself plenty of time to do exactly that.
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