Sony just held a massive State of Play showcase, and it featured updates on some long-awaited games and also made some exciting first-time reveals. God of War Laufey‘s announcement was a big highlight, but there was one other big detail from the event that quickly stood out.
There are tons of games coming out in September. Not every game coming out in September is a Sony exclusive, but they make up the bulk of the month. From Marvel’s Wolverine to Silent Hill: Townfall, September boasts a lot of games to look forward to, but there’s one major catch. After September, it’s going to be a dead zone because of GTA 6‘s November release date.
Every Game That Was at the PlayStation State of Play for June 2026
The recent Sony State of Play showcase was stacked with great announcements and sneak peeks, and here is every game that was present.
September is Probably the Last Busy Gaming Month of the Year, and GTA 6 is to Blame
GTA 6 has been the gaming Goliath towering over every other soon-to-be-released title in the industry for a long time now. Launching close to the GTA 6 release date would simply be a death sentence for most games. Because of the staggering amount of hype that has been building around this release for the past few years, GTA 6 is no longer just a game. The launch is expected to be a defining pop culture moment. People are going to call out of work, students will probably skip school, and the discourse on the internet is only going to get stronger once there are actual details to talk about instead of just sharing theories and scanning each frame from the two trailers.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
So, when looking at the 2026 game release calendar, it’s not surprising to see that October, November, and December are pretty bare. That’s because it’s a GTA 6 splash zone. Granted, some games are coming out in October, but a few of them are remasters or remakes. Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered and the new Rayman Legends remake are both coming out on October 1, while Star Wars: Galactic Racer is slated for October 6 and Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is set for October 8. Since these are all in early October, it’s still relatively safe. The only game that’s really playing with fire that month is Phantom Blade Zero on October 29, but that’s because it had to be pushed back from its original September release date.
A Look at the New Games Coming Out in September 2026
- The Blood of Dawnwalker – September 3
- Halloween: The Game – September 8
- Marvel’s Wolverine – September 15
- Silent Hill: Townfall – September 24
- Control Resonant – September 24
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword – September 25
That’s a lot to chow down on before GTA 6 gets here. Of course, not every person is concerned with GTA 6. There are going to be plenty of gamers who let GTA 6 come and go without giving it a second look, but the effect that it’s expected to have on the overall industry can’t really be underestimated. For example, Playground Games recently announced that Fable is delayed again to February 2027. Before the delay, it was expected to arrive sometime around the fall. Even if it was early fall, like late September or early October, it still may have been safe, but pushing it so far off until next year feels strategic.
It’s simply too big of a risk to dip a toe into the late 2026 waters. A few developers and publishers may decide to be bold, though. Summer Game Fest and the Xbox Games Showcase are just a few days away, and it will be interesting to see if any game decides to venture into GTA 6‘s territory.
