"It appears to be a State of Play focused more on third-party games" - that's the word from Nate the Hate, the leaker whose track record on PlayStation news has made him one of the more reliable voices in the pre-announcement space. According to a post on X, Sony may be holding its next State of Play broadcast on Thursday, April 16, though Nate himself flagged it as unconfirmed and noted he isn't 100% certain on the third-party focus either.
What Nate the Hate actually said
The key here is what Nate did and didn't claim. He reported the April 16 date as a possibility, not a certainty, and was upfront that the third-party framing is still fuzzy. That kind of transparency is actually what separates credible leakers from the noise, and it's worth keeping in mind before expectations spiral.
April 16 is also the date that Ubisoft is reportedly planning to officially announce the Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag remake, a title that has been teased and re-teased for months. Nate said he doesn't know whether the Ubisoft announcement and the State of Play are connected, so any overlap could be coincidence as much as coordination.
Where this fits in Sony's 2026 broadcast calendar
If the April 16 broadcast happens, it would be the second State of Play of 2026. The first aired in February, and it was a significant one: Sony used it to announce the God of War trilogy remake, which was the kind of reveal that tends to overshadow everything else on the show. A follow-up event less than two months later would signal that Sony has more to say before the summer showcase season kicks off.
The timing also matters because Sony is dealing with some fresh PR friction. On April 2, the company confirmed a PS5 price increase, pushing the PS5 Pro to $900. Sony attributed the hike to global economic pressures. A State of Play shortly after that announcement gives the company an opportunity to shift the conversation back to games, which is exactly what PlayStation fans want to be talking about.
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Nate the Hate has not confirmed the April 16 date as definitive. Sony has made no official announcement about a State of Play broadcast as of April 9.
Third-party focus and what that could mean
A State of Play built around third-party titles would look different from the February show. Those events typically bring multi-platform game reveals, timed exclusives, and release date confirmations for titles already in the pipeline. Given that E3 no longer exists and the summer showcase calendar has fragmented across dozens of publisher events, Sony's State of Play broadcasts have become one of the few reliable stages for third-party publishers to get a PlayStation-specific spotlight.
What most players miss about these third-party-focused shows is that they often carry some of the most immediately playable announcements. First-party reveals are exciting, but a third-party showcase can drop a release date for something you've been waiting on for two years.
April 16 is one week away
That's not much runway. If Sony plans to hold a broadcast next Thursday, an official announcement would likely surface within the next day or two, possibly accompanied by a runtime and a short preview of what to expect. Sony typically promotes State of Play events at least a few days in advance.
Nate the Hate has also been in the news recently for a separate report about a potential new Star Fox game for Nintendo Switch 2, which suggests his sourcing has been active across multiple platforms right now. Whether that broader activity means the PlayStation tip is equally solid is anyone's guess.
Mark April 16 on your calendar for now, treat it as a strong rumor rather than a confirmed date, and browse more guides and coverage here as Sony's plans become clearer over the next few days. Make sure to check out more:
