PS5 Officially Has 5 GOTY Contenders Coming in September
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Polygon has highlighted five upcoming PlayStation 5 releases due in September 2026 that it expects to feature prominently in this year's Game of the Year conversations, as the run-up to Grand Theft Auto 6's November launch brings a packed slate of major titles. The games span a range of genres, from open-world RPGs to horror and action titles, and come from a mix of established and newer studios building on recent industry momentum, including Capcom's strong 2026 with Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata.
The five titles are The Blood of Dawnwalker, an open-world vampire RPG from Rebel Wolves (co-founded by a former Witcher 3 director); Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Capcom's first mainline entry in the series in 20 years; Marvel's Wolverine, Insomniac's much-discussed take on the character; Control Resonant, Remedy Entertainment's melee-focused sequel to its 2019 hit Control, following new protagonist Dylan Faden through a monster-infested Manhattan; and Silent Hill: Townfall, a first-person horror instalment set on a Scottish island in 1996.
- Five major PS5 games launching in September, tipped as GOTY contenders
- Titles include The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha, Marvel's Wolverine
- Also featured: Control Resonant and Silent Hill: Townfall
New here? Start with this
Game of the Year, or GOTY, is a label used in games awards and year-end discussions for titles judged among the year’s best. The games mentioned here cover several genres, including role-playing, action and horror, and come from studios with different levels of experience and series history.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is a vampire role-playing game from Rebel Wolves, a studio co-founded by a former director of The Witcher 3. Onimusha: Way of the Sword returns to Capcom’s samurai action series after a long gap, while Marvel’s Wolverine is Insomniac Games’ take on the comic-book character.
Control Resonant follows Dylan Faden in a story linked to Remedy Entertainment’s Control, and Silent Hill: Townfall is a horror game set on a Scottish island in 1996. Their planned release month comes as publishers prepare for a busy year in which Grand Theft Auto 6 is also expected in November.
Full account
September is expected to bring a crowded release schedule for console players, with several titles already attracting awards-season attention. On PlayStation 5, five prominently discussed games are The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Marvel’s Wolverine, Control Resonant and another title not fully visible in the supplied extract.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is a dark-fantasy role-playing game from Rebel Wolves, a studio formed by former developers of The Witcher 3. Players take the role of Coen, who must contend with becoming a vampire while navigating a medieval open world shaped by a day-and-night system and consequential choices.
Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword returns the series to the foreground after two decades without a new mainline instalment. Set in Edo-period Kyoto, it centres on sword combat, supernatural adversaries and the use of a soul-consuming gauntlet. Both reports frame it against Capcom’s successful 2026 releases, Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata.
Marvel’s Wolverine is presented as Insomniac’s violent, comparatively streamlined interpretation of the comic-book character, while Remedy’s Control Resonant changes direction from the original Control’s shooter-focused design towards melee combat. The sequel follows Dylan Faden, brother of the first game’s protagonist, while retaining the earlier game’s unusual setting and spectacle.
Where outlets differ
The PlayStation-focused report includes Marvel’s Wolverine and describes online discussion surrounding it, whereas the Xbox-focused report does not mention it in the supplied section. The Xbox report gives more attention to Microsoft’s recent business difficulties and forthcoming Xbox exclusives, while the PlayStation report concentrates on the platform’s September prospects. Both discuss The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Control Resonant, but the Xbox account emphasises Dawnwalker’s romance options and Control Resonant’s weapon switching, while the PlayStation account stresses Dawnwalker’s time pressure and Wolverine’s perceived leaner structure.