With just four weeks left to launch, Sony is finally throwing open the curtains and showing off the PS5. Last week gave us the hardware teardown and an inside look at the cooling system, and this week dropped the PS5 UI reveal (first teased by Burger King, of all things). While there’s a lot to digest about the PS5 UI and user experience, there’s one potential tease that really has some people talking. When first logging in, the user selection screen features a single user by the name of Scotty Kenzo sporting a Killzone avatar, one of the series’ villainous Helghast. Is this Sony’s subtle way of teasing Killzone PS5, or is it just a fun classic PlayStation reference for longtime fans?
The last Killzone game, Killzone: Shadow Fall, was a PS4 launch title back in November 2013. It’s been a long seven years since we’ve even heard about the Guerilla series, with the developer moving on to Horizon Zero Dawn and its upcoming follow-up, Horizon Forbidden West. With a wide selection of avatars to choose from, a Helghast soldier is certainly an unusual choice given the myriad other popular PlayStation titles surrounding the PS5’s launch. Why not Sackboy or Ellie, Joel or Aloy? Astro? Even Nathan Drake and Knack have been seen more recently than the red-eyed Helghast have.
Avatar aside, keen-eyed internet sleuths discovered that the name “Scotty Kenzo” also has a Killzone connection, albeit a rather niche and small one. Kenzo Hakan is a Helghast sergeant in a Killzone: Shadow Fall voice log, detailing the movements of a civilian woman in New Helghan’s Containment City as she meets with a mysterious informant. Kenzo is never seen in game or overtly mentioned again. The name Scotty Kenzo, alongside the Helghast mask avatar, seems far too specific to be coincidental.
So why all the Killzone references in a PS5-centered video? What happened to the PS4’s infamous Henry Bale, featured in almost every PS4 UI screenshot and video that needed a username? There’s also the fact that Guerrilla Games has a second team that seems to be working on a shooter, if job listings are anything to go by. The most obvious conclusion there is a return of the developer’s Killzone franchise, though some speculation has pointed towards SOCOM.
One Resetera user found that this isn’t the first time Sony’s used the name/avatar combo. The name and avatar have been used before in screenshots of the PS4 quick menu (seen below), which may just mean Sony is using an existing dev account to demo the PS5 UI on and the Killzone references are just old.
At the end of the day, this could just be Sony celebrating PlayStation’s vast history with a fun Easter egg and reference for longtime fans. On the other hand, Sony is clearly signaling that the Killzone franchise is still an important part of PlayStation, important enough to lead the PS5 UI reveal. But does that extend to Killzone PS5 being a thing? Only time will tell if Guerrilla plans to return to the iconic franchise that put the developer on the map.
What do you think? Elaborate tease, or just a fun Easter egg and reference?