Sony skipped E3 2021, but that doesn't mean that the company doesn't have a big event up its sleeve. Rumor has it that Sony is preparing to host a special PlayStation State of Play event sometime soon, with the latest rumors claiming that the State of Play will potentially happen next Thursday, July 8. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen, but a recent development has lent the rumors some credibility.
Shortly after the PlayStation State of Play rumors took off, "leaks" started to crop up about what exactly it would entail. One of the biggest leaks for the supposed State of Play revolves around Ghost of Tsushima, which is apparently getting a standalone expansion called Ghost of Ikishima. The belief is that the Ghost of Ikishima game will be announced at the PlayStation State of Play event, and now there's new evidence that could very well be pointing in that direction.
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The ESRB has issued a rating for Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. It's entirely within the realm of possibility that this Director's Cut will include the rumored Ghost of Ikishima standalone expansion, though that's unclear at this time. However, ESRB ratings are typically issued when a game is relatively close to its release date, and Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut hasn't even been announced yet.
If Sony is set to announce Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut soon, one would think that it would be revealed at the rumored PlayStation State of Play event. And the Ghost of Ikishima standalone expansion leaking just prior to the ESRB leak seems to be pointing in that direction as well. Granted, it could be that we're connecting dots that aren't really there, as there's no concrete evidence of Ghost of Ikishima, so fans should take this with a grain of salt. But where there's smoke, there's fire, and at the very least, fans should be able to expect a Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut announcement soon, even if it doesn't include Ikishima.
If Ghost of Ikishima is bundled with Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut as assumed, then the ESRB rating could provide some greater insight into what that leaked game will entail. Those who leaked Ghost of Ikishima seemed unclear on whether or not the game would be a PS5 exclusive or a cross-gen title, but the ESRB rating for Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is for both PS4 and PS5. So if Ghost of Ikishima is part of the package, then fans can count on it being a cross-gen experience after all.
Meanwhile, evidence is continuing to mount that Ghost of Ikishima is the real deal. Sony recently registered an online domain for Ghost of Ikishima, lending even more credibility to the leaks. While this isn't quite as solid or official as an ESRB listing for Ghost of Ikishima, it would be surprising for the game to be fake at this point.
The other recent leak that may point to a PlayStation State of Play event happening soon has to do with, oddly enough, Xbox-owned id Software. Earlier this year, the Australian Classification Board leaked the existence of an id Software game that was known as PROJECT 2021A. This turned out to be Doom 3 VR for PlayStation VR, and so now that PROJECT 2021B has leaked in the same exact same way, it stands to reason that id Software may have another PlayStation VR project up its sleeve.
Some may be confused by this, as Microsoft acquired Bethesda and therefore id Software along with it, but it's already been made clear that existing PlayStation projects and deals will still be released. So it's entirely within the realm of possibility that whatever this new project is, it too has received a rating because it will be announced soon, perhaps at the rumored PlayStation State of Play event.
There are other leaks floating around about what the PlayStation State of Play will have in store, though there's less evidence backing them up. Some believe that the first God of War: Ragnarok gameplay footage will be shown at the event, while it's also been teased that the State of Play will have a "big surprise" in store for fans.
For now, fans should keep their expectations in check. Sony has not announced its plans in regards to another PlayStation State of Play, and so it's better not to get one's hopes up. If the event is going to take place on July 8 as rumored, though, then the official announcement should come sooner rather than later. And if it does happen, it will be interesting to see if these leaks about Ghost of Tsushima, id Software, and everything else are accurate.