With a new PlayStation Showcase imminent and countless rumors flying around, people couldn't be more eager to find out what the talented PlayStation studios are working on.
We know that there are a lot of rumors floating around, but in this list we'll mention the games that have been confirmed for development, either publicly by the studio or through some published job vacancies.
Today Sony has at least 24 studios of its own and all of them are working on one or more projects, which we'll mention below, but it's good to make it clear that we won't necessarily name names here. So let's get to it!
Team Asobi
Team Asobi is one of PlayStation's newest studios, with little work of its own, despite having inherited some members from the now-defunct Japan Studio. However, it's almost certain that we'll see some fun games, given that their two games already published are the two Astro games, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, one of the most highly praised VR games, and Astro's Playroom famous, and just as highly praised, Dualsense tech demo.
It's common knowledge that Team Asobi is currently working on two new games, one of which is a 3D action game, possibly a new adventure for little Astro Bot, while the second project is a mobile game, one of PlayStation's new focuses as we'll see later on.
Sucker Punch Productions
One of PlayStation's long-standing partner studios, acquired back in 2011, it is also a promising studio, despite having some good IPs in its portfolio, such as InFamous, Sly Cooper and more recently Ghost of Tsushima. Despite being a studio with very consistent projects, it's still not one of the bigger budget studios. Its recent success with Ghost of Tsushima and, of course, its legacy with its classic franchises, mean that its next projects are promising.
As for their next projects, we now know of two, one of which is an open-world narrative game, which could possibly be a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, or even a return to InFamous, you never know. And the second project is a new multiplayer game, one of PlayStation's new focuses, again, as we'll see later on.
Santa Monica Studio
Santa Monica is one of Sony's most well-known and award-winning studios, one that was created by the company itself in 1999. The studio is widely known for the God of War franchise, but for a number of years it acted as a separate publisher from Sony itself, with some of its most renowned games being Flower, Fat Princess, Twisted Metal and Journey.
We recently had a God of War sequel whose gameplay was completely reimagined in 2018, earning the studio the much-hyped Game of the Year award at The Game Awards, which spawned another sequel that was even bigger and just as good. The first game in this new phase was directed by Cory Barlog, who has been with the franchise for years and will possibly be the director of Santa Monica Studio's next game, which will be a new IP, with a high chance of being a sci-fi game. But in addition to this game, there is another game in development, but this second project doesn't have many details yet.
Insomniac Games
Another of Sony's recent acquisitions, this one completed in 2020, but that doesn't mean that the studio's history with PlayStation is recent, quite the contrary. Back in 1998, the studio developed the first game in the famous Spyro franchise, as well as its sequels, published by Sony itself. But it doesn't stop there, as they have developed several games in the equally famous Ratchet & Clank franchise, as well as Resistance. It has also developed games with other publishers, including Xbox, where it developed the brilliant Sunset Overdrive.
The success story of the partnership between Sony and Insomniac got back on track shortly before the acquisition, with Marvel's Spider-Man, the most successful game in PlayStation history, and after the acquisition, there was the also brilliant Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, as well as the equally brilliant standalone DLC for Marvel's Spider-Man, focused on Miles Morales. And what's most impressive in these cases is the ability to release so many high-quality games in such a short space of time.
The developer's known future projects are a total of three games, two of which have already been officially announced, both with original Marvel IPs: a sequel to Marvel's Spider-Man and a new game featuring the much-loved character Wolverine, which promises to be heavier and more violent than the neighborhood friend's games. But there is still a third project, this one being another of the multiplayer games already mentioned.
Polyphony Digital
One of Sony's oldest original studios, it has the longest-running and best-selling franchise. Since its inception, the studio has only developed racing games, and for some years now, it has focused exclusively on the Gran Turismo franchise.
Polyphony is one of the few studios whose work is focused on just one project, and although it still gives considerable support to Gran Turismo 7, creating new tracks and cars frequently, its next project is a new entry in the franchise. So, for the future of Polyphony, we can expect a new Gran Turismo, but soon we'll see a bit more of this classic IP in theaters with a movie that releases in August.
Guerrilla Games
Guerrilla Games is one of the studios that has gained more relevance within PlayStation recently, with several of its employees taking on leadership roles at PlayStation Studios. Based in Amsterdam, the studio developed the famous futuristic FPS franchise Killzone for many years, and is currently developing the Horizon franchise, as well as, of course, its promising Decima Engine.
It is now known that Guerrilla is working on three different projects, two of which are related to the Horizon franchise, one of which is the continuation of the journey of the protagonist Aloy, which could be the end of the franchise, and the other is a Monster Hunter-style multiplayer game set in the same universe. The third project is still a mystery, but what is known is that it is an external project.
Naughty Dog
Today, Naughty Dog is probably both Sony's most important studio and one of the most important in the world of games. The incredibly talented studio has a history that is very much in sync with PlayStation, even before it was acquired in 2001. The studio was responsible for developing Crash Bandicoot, who until then was PlayStation's mascot, created to simply fight Mario.
After some back and forth, ND was acquired by Sony, which made it impossible for them to work on new Crash games, which was an IP that belonged to Universal at the time. This led ND to create a new mascot for Sony, and the Jak and Dexter franchise was born. As with Crash, ND developed several games in the franchise until, in 2007, the developer embarked on a new original IP: Uncharted.
The first game in the franchise lacked in many respects, but it was a very beautiful game visually for the time and seemed to be a promising franchise. The game received a few sequels, which put the developer on another level in the industry, both for its incredible visuals and gameplay, which only got better with time, and for its breathtaking storytelling. But the studio didn't stop there and developed one of the most important franchises in the industry: The Last of Us. This game revolutionized everything we know as games in many ways and is now a benchmark in the industry.
The future of Naughty Dog
After all this success, Naughty Dog is one of the studios that makes people most anxious when it comes to future projects, due to its certainty of above-average quality. Today it is public knowledge that the studio is developing at least three new games, one of which is the studio's first multiplayer game, set in the universe of The Last of Us and promising a multiplayer experience with a strong focus on the story.
The second project is still unknown, but the great possibility is that it will be a new IP, directed by Neil Drukmann, director of Uncharted 4 and the games in The Last of Us franchise. The third project is even more unknown, but it is known that the studio is acting as a form of audit for other smaller studios on a new and unknown project. It's always good to keep an eye on what ND is doing, as history shows just how talented they are.
San Diego Studio
San Diego Studio is one of the least talked about studios of late, but that doesn't mean it's standing still - quite the opposite. The studio is one of the ones that releases the most games, having released at least one game in the last 19 years, even releasing up to three games in some specific years. The studio was formed in 2001 and its main focus is sports games, having released several MLB and even NBA games.
Since 2006, San Diego Studio has released a game from the MLB: The Show franchise every year and it's likely that this will continue to be the case over the next few years. However, some job vacancies indicate that the studio is working on a third-person action game, something that isn't new in itself since the studio's first game, The Mark of Kri, was a game in this genre. It's a very consistent studio and it's a good idea to keep an eye on what it might be preparing for PlayStation.
London Studio
Another studio that doesn't get a lot of attention, London Studio was created in 2002 as a merger between Camden Studio and Team Soho, and can be called versatile. The games developed by the studio are not as famous as some of those already mentioned, but one thing that can be said is that they are diverse and creative. The studio is currently working on a game that they define as a fantasy multiplayer live service with cooperative combat. Quite a big name, isn't it? But it's just as self-explanatory.
PixelOpus
PixelOpus was a small Sony studio, with around 15-20 employees, but with great creativity, and was responsible for developing the games Entwined and Concrete Genie. There were several rumors and some evidence that the studio was developing a new IP for the PlayStation 5, said to be a joint effort with Sony Animation, but it was announced that the studio would be closing in June, and its possible project has probably been canceled. A sad story of a creative studio that lasted only a few years, but will never leave PlayStation's history.
Bend Studio
A controversial Sony studio, but one that undoubtedly has a lot of talent, is Bend Studio, and why is it controversial? It's because of its latest release, Days Gone, which, despite being a sales success, went bust, generating a lot of criticism and bad feeling towards Sony itself. But there's more to its story.
Acquired by SIE in 2000, Bend Studio's first PlayStation project was Bubsy 3D, a game that was a bit bizarre at the time, but which opened the door for the studio to create its most successful franchise: Syphon Filter. But for many years, the studio focused a lot on games for Sony's portable consoles until it returned to desktop consoles in 2019 with the aforementioned Days Gone.
Despite all the problems, Days Gone is a game that has many more qualities than defects, and today, in its most polished state, it is very good. And although the studio's director left due to creative differences with Sony itself, the studio is still hard at work. It is known that the studio is working on a new AAA IP, which includes multiplayer. Rumors suggest that it may be a game in the MIB franchise, others that it's a Metal Gear Solid-style open-world game, but we won't know what that is until later.
Media Molecule
I mentioned that PixelOpus and London Studios were some of PlayStation's most creative studios, but I don't think any of them can compare to Media Molecule. This is because, unlike the other studios, MM has created a great deal of relevance, unlike the other studios mentioned.
The studio was acquired by Sony back in 2010 and was responsible for creating one of Sony's most charismatic franchises: Little Big Planet, as well as Tearaway. Simple but very creative games, but creativity reached its greatest heights with the release of Dreams in 2020. Dreams wasn't just a game, it was an incredibly powerful tool capable of creating complex games within the console itself.
Unfortunately, Sony doesn't seem to have given the game enough attention, but today it has an incredible catalog of games created by players, of all different genres and sizes. Dreams is a unique game, and that makes us wonder what Media Molecule will be working on in the future. The studio's current project is a multiplayer live-service game.
Housemarque
One of the recent and welcome surprises on Sony's latest generation console was the game Returnal, developed by Housemarque. The game impressed with its super fun gameplay and the quantity and variety of particles and effects on screen, but this is not in itself news to those who know the studio's history.
Acquired by PlayStation in 2021, one of the most successful games in Housemarque's history was Resogun, that typical side-scrolling naval game, but Sony's partnership with Housemarque began in 2007 and has been bearing fruit to this day. With Returnal, the studio presented us with its biggest project yet, and after critical success, the studio is embarking on a new IP that promises to be even bigger than its last game.
Firesprite / Fabrik
Firesprite is a fairly new studio in the games industry, having released its first game back in 2013, called The Playroom. The Playroom is a game where players interact with the PS4's PlayStation Camera. It has only worked on a few projects but has proved to be a talented studio when it comes to virtual reality games. Proof of this was the recent release of Horizon Call of The Mountain, one of the most impressive VR games.
It's a very large studio, to the point where they've acquired another studio to help with their projects. These projects are diverse, with four games currently in development. The project with the most focus today is a AAA narrative adventure game, which is said to be a type of "dark" sci-fi psychological horror. It is possible that it will be a sequel to The Persistence.
He is also working on another AAA game, in this case a new action IP. As well as a new AAA multiplayer IP and a new narrative-focused IP for mobile. These are several projects with a large budget, which shows that Sony has a certain confidence in the studio's ability.
Nixxes
Another of the studios recently acquired by PlayStation, Nixxes has an enviable track record. It has worked on several giant franchises such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Killzone, among others. However, it is a support studio whose main focus is porting console games to PC, one of Sony's new strategies to reach a wider audience.
Haven
Acquired in 2022 by PlayStation, Haven Studios is one of Sony's investments in new studios. This studio has no previous projects but has as one of its founders Jade Raymond, an important figure in the games industry, being one of the creators of franchises such as Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs, and building studios such as Ubisoft Toronto and EA Motive.
Haven is now known to be working on a new multiplayer AAA IP, and from what we've heard, it seems to be a very promising game. There are only a few concept arts available about the project, but it's been in production for a few years, although it's possibly still in its early stages.
Valkyrie Entertaiment
Like Nixxes, Valkyrie is primarily a support studio, which has also worked on some famous franchises such as InFamous, Twisted Metal and God of War. However, unlike Nixxes, Valkyrie also produces its own games, such as "Guns Up!", released in 2015. The studio is working on two projects, one of which is a strategy game and the other a mobile game.
Bluepoint Games
We've already mentioned that PlayStation has studios specializing in ports and support, but Bluepoint Games is also part of PlayStation Studios, which has specialized over the years in producing remakes and remasters. Founded in 2006, Bluepoint released its first game, Blast Factor, a shooter for PlayStation 3. From the name alone, it's not a well-known game, right? But it was enough to open several doors.
His next project was a remastered collection of the Godo f War franchise in 2009, followed by remastered versions of Ico & Shadow of The Colossus and Metal Gear Solid in 2011. In 2012, he actively participated in the production of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, as well as remasters of various franchises such as Flower, Titanfall, Uncharted and Gravity Rush.
But it reached its high point with the remakes of Shadow of The Colossus and Demon's Souls, two remakes that brought the games completely up to date without losing their essence. This successful portfolio led them to be acquired by PlayStation and today they are working on an original AAA IP. We can only wait to see the results of their new venture.
San Mateo Studio
As far as San Mateo Studio is concerned, there's not much to talk about, it's just an internal development studio and will continue to operate in this way, with no future projects announced or made public.
Visual Arts
This may be one of the studios you've never heard of, but I can assure you that it's one of the most important. Both for Sony and for other external studios. That's because, as its name implies, it's a studio that specializes in the visual arts. In other words, it's where some of the art, animations, motion capture and other things that help all of Sony's studios, and even external studios such as Capcom, are made.
As well as helping with these visual issues, the studio also co-develops some games and acts as a support studio. But unlike those already mentioned, Visual Arts now has a new development team, together with PlayStation Malaysia and (only) Naughty Dog. This team is currently working on a new AAA project.
Malaysia
As mentioned above, PlayStation Malaysia is developing a new game together with Visual Arts, and it can be said that both studios work on very similar fronts. Malaysia also acts as a support and co-development studio, as well as specializing in art and animation.
Savage Game Studios
Savage Game Studios is one of PlayStation's recently acquired studios, but it has a very different purpose from the others. While most studios today work on developing games for the PS5, Savage develops specifically for the mobile audience. Today the studio is working on a AAA mobile live service action game.
Firewalk
The latest studio to be acquired by Sony, Firewalk is a AAA games studio that has yet to produce a single game, but has several members of renowned studios such as Bungie and Respawn on its team. Today the studio is working on a new original multiplayer IP.
XDEV
PlayStation today has several talented first-party studios working on various projects. But it has never stopped looking to external teams for partnerships.
We've seen several incredible projects made by studios that don't belong to Sony, but which have made some good exclusive games for the PS5. These include Final Fantasy, Silent Hill and others.
To create these partnerships with well-known or even new studios, PlayStation creates various campaigns to help fund promising projects around the world. Examples include PlayStation Talents, which invests in promising games in Spain. The China Hero Project, which invests in games from Chinese studios. As well as the most recently announced India Hero Project, which will act in the same way as the other projects in India.
XDEV is the studio responsible for pursuing these partnerships and helping as much as possible to deliver good games with external studios. Of all Sony's studios, this is the one with the most projects in development. Many of them have yet to be announced, but just as many have already been announced.
Of the games announced, the studio is currently working on at least eight projects:
XDEV's work
- Rise of The Ronin, in partnership with Team Ninja, is the most ambitious project in the studio's history. Team Ninja claims to have been working on this game specifically for at least 7 years, and it's an open-world game with Team Ninja's signature oriental style;
- Ultra FirewallIn partnership with First Contact, the game is exclusive to PSVR2, just like the first game in the franchise. It's a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter that uses many of the new features available in Sony's new virtual reality headset;
- Stellar Bladein partnership with Shift Up, formerly known as Project Eve. The game bears a certain resemblance to Bayonetta and appears to have a gameplay that mixes elements of Hack and Slash with Souls Like;
- Death Stranding 2, in partnership with Kojima Productions, is the sequel to the acclaimed Death Stranding. And of course, developed by Hideo Kojima, which is already quite a draw. As with the first game, the second will be developed using the Decima Engine, which was brilliantly used by Guerrilla in Horizon Forbidden West;
- New Original AAA IP in partnership with Deviation Games, a studio formed by veterans of the Call of Duty franchise. Possibly an FPS;
- Convallaria, a project similar to Destiny, but with a more oriental style, coming from the China Hero Project;
- Lost Soul AsideAnother project from the China Hero Project, which takes great inspiration from Devil May Cry. The project has been years in the making and was impressive at the start because it was being developed by just one person.
An honorable mention...
Bungie
There's a good reason why it's an honorable mention. Although Bungie is an incredibly talented studio and part of the PlayStation family. The studio operates independently and is not part of PlayStation Studios.
The renowned studio that created Halo will continue to support its hit game Destiny. However, job vacancies indicate that the studio is working on two other projects, which will possibly be exclusive to the PlayStation platform.
See also:
Diablo IV - The game's post-launch experience
Brasil Game Show announces four Video Game Orchestra concerts
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