Sony's Secret Los Angeles Studio: A New AAA Game in the Works
Sony Interactive Entertainment has quietly established a new AAA game studio in Los Angeles, California, as revealed by a recent job posting. This marks Sony's 20th first-party studio and adds to their impressive lineup of acclaimed developers. The studio is currently shrouded in secrecy, but is confirmed to be developing a groundbreaking original AAA IP for the PlayStation 5.
The news has generated significant excitement among PlayStation fans, who eagerly anticipate updates on projects from established studios like Santa Monica Studio, Naughty Dog, and Insomniac Games. Sony's recent acquisitions of Housemarque, Bluepoint Games, and Firesprite further demonstrate their commitment to expanding their first-party development capabilities. This new, unnamed studio represents another exciting addition to this growing roster.
The identity of the team behind this new venture remains undisclosed, but speculation points to two possibilities. One theory suggests it's a spin-off team from Bungie, formed after a significant restructuring involving 155 Bungie employees transitioning to Sony Interactive Entertainment in July 2024. This team was reportedly working on a project codenamed "Gummybears."
Another strong contender is the team led by industry veteran Jason Blundell, formerly co-founder of Deviation Games. Deviation Games, while working on a promising AAA PS5 title, ultimately closed its doors in March 2024. However, a significant number of its former employees joined PlayStation in May 2024 under Blundell's leadership, fueling speculation that this new studio is a continuation of their previous work. Given the longer gestation period, this scenario seems more probable.
While the specifics of Blundell's team's project remain unknown, there is speculation that it may be a continuation or a reimagining of Deviation Games' abandoned AAA title. Regardless of the project's details, the existence of this new studio is welcome news for PlayStation fans, promising another highly anticipated first-party game in the pipeline, though an official announcement may be years away.
