Sony Forms New AAA Game Development Studio

Sony's Secret Los Angeles Studio: A New AAA IP for PS5

Sony Interactive Entertainment has quietly established a new, unannounced AAA game studio in Los Angeles, California. This marks their 20th first-party studio and adds to their already impressive lineup of renowned developers. A recent job posting confirmed the studio's existence and revealed they are working on a groundbreaking, original AAA title for the PS5.

The news has generated considerable 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, mystery studio represents another significant addition to their growing portfolio.

Speculation abounds regarding the studio's origins and personnel. One possibility is that it incorporates a spin-off team from Bungie, formed following the July 2024 layoffs that saw 155 Bungie employees transition to Sony Interactive Entertainment. This team, reportedly working on Bungie's "Gummybears" incubation project, could be the core of the new Los Angeles studio.

Another strong contender is the team led by industry veteran Jason Blundell, formerly a co-founder of Deviation Games. Deviation Games, which was developing a PS5 AAA title, unfortunately closed its doors in March 2024. However, many of its former employees, including Blundell, joined PlayStation in May 2024, forming a new team. Given the longer gestation period of Blundell's team compared to the potential Bungie offshoot, it's plausible that the new studio houses Blundell's experienced group. The project they are developing remains undisclosed, but there's speculation it could be a continuation or reimagining of Deviation Games' previous work.

While concrete details remain scarce, the confirmation of a new PlayStation first-party studio developing an original AAA IP is cause for celebration among fans. While a formal announcement from Sony may be years away, the knowledge of another exciting PlayStation game in development is undoubtedly welcome news.