PlayStation's next State of Play announced, rumored to showcase Judas
Update: Sony has confirmed a January 31 State of Play, which will take place at 2pm PT/5pm ET/10pm GMT.
The 40-minute broadcast will feature over 15 games and can be viewed on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.
Judas is coming, and no, we don't mean Jesus' disciple or Lady Gaga rereleasing her 2011 banger. Ghost Story Games' first-person shooter is out there somewhere, with BioShock's Ken Levine releasing this spiritual successor at some point in the near future.
Having been loosely in the works since 2014, Judas is giving GTA 6 a run for its money in terms of an extended development cycle. It's been an age since Judas got a full reveal at 2022's The Game Awards, but now, we could be about to get an update in the form of a Sony State of Play.
Judas teased for Sony State of Play
After going quiet since The Game Awards, we got that sinking feeling that Judas was lost in development hell. Insider Shpeshal Nick has given a cryptic tweet of an upcoming State of Play, which is pencilled in for Wednesday, January 31.
There are clear winks to Rise of the Ronin, Death Stranding 2, Silent Hill, Until Dawn, Metro, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Sonic the Hedgehog. However, it's a final mention of "don't be a Judas about it" that has sparked hope that Judas is about to get a proper reveal.
It's interesting that the likes of the Silent Hill 2 remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are PlayStation exclusives, while Judas and others are expected to be multi-platform releases. Then again, like we saw Hogwarts Legacy get PlayStation-exclusive content, it could be that Sony has struck a partnership with Ghost Story Games.
The long development of Judas
Judas will be Levine's first game since BioShock Infinite's Burial at Sea DLC. The gaming legend first came up with the concept around the time of Burial at Sea, citing Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor's infamous Nemesis system and System Shock's mechanics as major influences.
In January 2022, Bloomberg reported that Judas had fallen into development hell, claiming that Levine's workplace culture and employee burnout were contributing factors. Still, this was before we got the official trailer reveal. Importantly, there was no release date attached, leading to hope we'll get one from this mythical State of Play.
Take-Two Interactive is reportedly planning to release Judas before March 2025, meaning a 2024 window could be on the cards. Given our love of the BioShock series and Levine promising Judas will be a more challenging experience, it could be one of this year's big games. Emphasis on the could part of that.
