20-Minute Phantom Blade Zero State of Play Announced for August 17

Sony and developer S-GAME have announced a 20-minute PlayStation State of Play, entirely dedicated to Phantom Blade Zero. The upcoming action RPG is highly anticipated by many players, including myself, and this will be the largest showcase for the game ahead of its October 28 release date on PlayStation 5.

The prospect of a Phantom Blade Zero+ Direct was first shared earlier this summer during PlayStation’s prior State of Play. Now, we finally have a date, time, and expectation of what we’ll see during the Phantom Blade Zero Direct. The upcoming showcase promises 20 minutes of new gameplay and “a much closer look at what you can expect” from the game, according to a PlayStation Blog post.

S-GAME has also opened pre-orders for the title and premiered a lengthy 11-minute trailer. In the extended trailer, we see a ton more of the game’s setting, combat and sheer breadth. “What you saw in the pre-order trailer is only the beginning,” S-GAME says. The State of Play will include never-before-seen characters that are important to the game’s story. The developers will also show “just how expressive players can be with their individual builds.”

The trailer also announced actor Donnie Yen is in the game. According to the developers, Yen has been serving as a creative consultant for Phantom Blade Zero since 2023. The actor takes on the role of the protagonist Soul’s father.

PlayStation’s Phantom Blade Zero Direct is being held on August 17 at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. You can view the live stream on PlayStation’s Twitch and YouTube channels.