Firsts are fun. You don’t know where to set your expectations, new formats are found, and anything can happen. The announcement of the first-ever PlayStation State of Play Japan promised a 40-minute look at what the talented developers across Japan and Asia as a whole have been cooking up, which is a solid idea given the breadth of excellent titles that come from that corner of the world.
It’s unclear whether this region-specific format will continue going forward, but this morning’s showcase set a great tone, with a solid host and mini dev interviews breaking up the announcements and trailers. Your mileage will vary depending on your gaming preference, but overall, this debut dalliance with a new format was a success.
Here are all the announcements from the November State of Play Japan:
Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined
We’ve had remakes, remasters and even the occasional rebirth – but what about a reimagining? With a deviously delightful artstyle, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined looks every bit as charming as one would expect from a series known for amazing characters and the occasional slime. The voice acting also seems to be chewing the scenery hardcore – and did you see the size of that guys chin? Looks neat.
Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined is set to arrive on February 5, 2026.
InKonnbi
Stepping into the cosy spotlight, InKonnbi looks to capture the pulse-pounding day-to-day of running a small convenience story in a quiet town. Sure, that doesn’t exactly sound like a nonstop thrillride – but it’s the kind of quaint experience that people who have never worked in retail will take novelty in. Stocking shelves, chatting with familiar customers – there is even a system where you can buy capsule toys and display them behind the counter. Yeah bugger it, I am intrigued – I will look forward to the release in April 2026.
Coffee Talk Tokyo
If I had a dollar for every pixel-art, coffee driven barista experience I had seen recently – I would have two whole dollars. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s odd that it has happened twice. Coffee Talk Tokyo is the next entry in the Coffee Talk series, bringing the beloved coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator to new shores and new smells. This trailer is establishing that the game will be making its way to the Sony family of consoles, and you can smell the brews on March 5, 2026.
BrokenLore: Unfollow
Hold on a minute, have I been sleeping on a bangin’ horror series? Developed by Serafini Productions, BrokenLore is a first-person horror series with two entries to date: Low and Don’t Watch. They appear to be more bite-sized than your typical horror experience, which might explain why four more games are coming soon.
Unfollow is the next cab off the rank, looking like it leans on the Back Rooms creepypasta as an inspiration. We see some nasty visuals and gross enemies in the short trailer, as well as a release date of January 16, 2026.
BrokenLore: Ascend
I told you, these things are coming out thick and fast. Ascend, like its title suggests, Ascend sees the player attempting to climb Tokyo Tower, albeit with some unwanted yokai clingers. No date for this one yet, but it’s also scheduled for 2026.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake
Right, so I’ve always been intrigued by the Fatal Frame series, but I’ve never played one, so I’m going to take this as a sign from the horror gods to get on board.
Just as it says on the tin, this is a remake of the second title in the series, Crimson Butterfly, with some truly impressive visual, audio, and controls updates that bring it into the modern era. Ghosts, cameras, twin protagonists, what more could you want?
I’ll be getting around this one when it hits on March 12, 2026.
Dynasty Warriors Origins: Visions of Four Heroes
I was about to do a welfare check on the folks at Koei Tecmo when this trailer first hit, because I thought we were getting another new Dynasty Warriors game. Alas, I’ll leave them in peace, because Vision of Four Heroes is actually a major DLC for Dynasty Warriors: Origins. Phew. It comes with a new story, new allies, and new weapons, which is bound to get fans in the mood to mow down countless hapless soldiers. This one is coming on January 22, 2026.
MotionRec
Ok, now I’m listening. MotionRec is a cute, largely black-and-white puzzle platformer with a very cool gimmick. Playing as a cute little gyu, you can record your movements and replay them in later situations. Record yourself walking along a regular old platform, then reuse those frames to get yourself across an otherwise insurmountable gap. The art style is cool, the gimmick is cool, and I’m very interested to see more. No set date, but we’ll be getting our hands on it in 2026.
Wandering Sword
A 2.5D pixel art RPG that’s been impressing folks who have played it on PC over the last few years is coming to PS5 on May 28, 2026.
Gran Turismo 7 – Power Pack Add-On
Gran Turismo 7 is getting a new Power Pack DLC, adding a new game mode that introduces 24-hour endurance races for those sickos who get their kicks from burning rubber and blisters from white-knuckling the steering wheel. Expect this one on December 4.
No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files
Good lord, what a title. This screams Nathan Hennessy to me, but that might have something to do with his chronic JRPG obsession. Who knows. Originally released on PC and Switch earlier this year, No Sleep For Kaname Date is coming to PS5 on February 26, 2026.
Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac – Sonic the Hedgehog Collaboration
We are living in a fever dream reality, where you can turn on your PlayStation, open Pac-Man and play through a Sonic the Hedgehog level. No, you did not have a moment of lucid dreaming during that last sentence, that is exactly what is going on – with Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac dropping a Sonic the Hedgehog Collab right this minute.
You can even stomp an Eggman boss fight. What a time to be alive.
Digimon Story Time Stranger – Episode Pack 1: Alternate Dimension
For people who got their groove on with Digimon Story Time Stranger, the first Season Pass DLC has been properly unveiled and promises new Digivolution routes for Mega Digimon. Seeing Blitzgreymon is a great time, because I love that big robotic nerd. Apparently releasing later this year, so the wait is a short one.
Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse
Love me a hand-drawn roguelike – and this one stars a melty witch with a cursed hat. BUT HOLD ON, suddenly there is Terraria-like base build? Brewing stuff in a cauldron? Oh lord. Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse seems to be fighting for its niche by cramming in as many curious and incredible mechanics as it can. Oh, and it also supports 1-4 players with supported online play. Time to bug the homies, because witch-please, this looks great.
BlazBlue Entropy Effect X
As someone who eternally stares at BlazBlue games as items of beauty, lamenting that I am awful at their fighting mechanics – this may well be addressed directly to me.A roguelite action game where players can take control of 14 unique characters from the BlazBlue franchise? Traversing levels and doing spectacularly flashy full-screen attacks to wipe out goons? Holy hell. Might make a good Valentines Day gift for February 12, 2026.
Damon and Baby
What would happen if a demon was given the responsibility of caring for a baby? It would probably platform about and take part in twin-stick combat from a predominantly isometric perspective. That’s just a guess. This one is coming to PS5 and PS4 early next year.
Octopath Traveler 0
The Octopath series has garnered considerable acclaim, and a significant reason for that is the approach Square Enix has taken with demos. The next entry is coming on December 4 2025, but a demo is available right now, allowing those keen to play the first three hours of the game. Better still, is that your progress will move over to the full release once you inevitably pick it up at the start of the Christmas season.
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls – New Closed Beta
Continuing to look like a spectacularly fun time, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls will be running another closed beta for players to get their costumed fingers on it. While no new characters are revealed, further features are promised to be available for testing – as well as a hot new stage based around the brilliant X-Mansion. Keep an eye out on the Playstation listing for the game for sign up details – this beta will run from December 5 through to December 7.
Elden Ring Nightreign The Forsaken Hollows
Look, I didn’t vibe with Elden Ring Nightreign. Not by way of it being a bad game – it just didn’t grip my nuts compared to, say, Elden Ring. But I accepted that it was a great time for those who had their nethers sufficiently grabbed – and for those mad lads (and ladies) they can enjoy a pretty slick looking expansion in the coming months. More familiar faces (Artorias!) come to the fray, and you need only wait til December 4 to have them crush your aforementioned delicates.
And that’s our first State of Play Japan in the books. Now we can set our expectations far too high next time, get disappointed that our ludicrously high expectations weren’t met, then bemoan that State of Play “never shows anything good.” It’s a fun game we play.
What did you think? What was your highlight from the showcase? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.
