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The State of PlayStation Studios - IGN
PlayStation's first-party studios have a ton in the works for both PS4 and PS5 - let's dig into everything we know is on the horizon.
Editors note: This deep dive into Sony's studios was previously published in November 2021, and has since been updated to reflect more recent PlayStation acquisitions, including the announcement that Bungie will be joining SIE and more. The video version above was originally published in November and has not been updated. So read on for all the latest on the games and acquisitions in the world of PS4 and PS5.
PlayStation Studios has been busy as the PlayStation 5 closes out its first year Throughout 2021, Sony’s collection of worldwide development teams has continued to turn out acclaimed hits, reinvigorate old franchises, and expand with a host of acquisitions and first-party publishing partnerships. Let’s check in on the state of PlayStation’s First-Party Studios.
Before we jump in, a few notes. First off, we’ll be focusing on PlayStation first-party studios only. So we won’t be talking about studios developing third-party console exclusives or third-party partnerships. Hey, we didn’t cover Housemarque for this very reason the last time around, and since then they’ve been acquired by PlayStation, so never say never.
The State of PlayStation Studios
Bend Studio
![www.bendstudio.com](https://www.bendstudio.com/assets/cms/general/bend-share.png?c=178)
BEND STUDIO - Bend Studio
With over 25 years of experience, Bend Studio is a Sony first-party AAA game developer, located at the base of Oregon’s beautiful Cascade Mountains.
![www.bendstudio.com](https://www.bendstudio.com/assets/site/images/favicons/favicon-196x196.png?c=178)
Current game in development: Though reports and tweets from past employees suggest a Days Gone 2 was pitched, that particular world is currently not what the team has in the works. Instead, Bend announced earlier this year that it is developing a brand new IP, also shooting down rumors that we might be seeing a return to the world of its acclaimed Syphon Filter series. No exact details are known on said new IP just yet, though PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst did previously say Bend would be “building on the deep open-world systems that they developed with Days Gone.”
Bluepoint Games
Last game published: As of press time, Bluepoint is PlayStation Studios’ newest acquisition, with no games published post acquisition, but Bluepoint and PlayStation’s history goes back years. The studio made a name for itself with PlayStation remasters for Uncharted and more. It then transitioned into remakes, tackling beloved PlayStation hits like Shadow of the Colossus on PS4 and, most recently, Demon’s Souls on PS5.Post-acquisition Bluepoint hasn’t announced official details of its next game. But speaking to IGN at the time of the acquisition announcement, Bluepoint president Marco Thrush indicated the team wants to work on original content moving forward, meaning we shouldn’t expect a remake next from the studio, as much as it’s proven itself in that space.
Bungie
Bungie.net
Post-acquisition Bungie hasn't formally announced any new games, though it did release The Witch Queen expansion for Destiny 2. Bungie is also working on a new IP, and, as evidenced by the acquisition news, has interest in expanding Destiny beyond games into other media. And we also know thanks to job listings that a new project for Bungie could be a multiplayer action game with a character focus.
Firesprite Games
![www.firesprite.com](https://firesprite.com/images/share/fs_navy_1920x1080-web-preview-placeholder_hu4a85cca6c7ab15eb64b0dc2323a6be7c_178178_1200x630_fill_q90_mitchellnetravali_center.jpg)
Firesprite - A PlayStation Studio
Firesprite are an innovative First Party PlayStation development studio based in Liverpool, UK, with over 200 experienced developers creating cutting edge games.
![www.firesprite.com](https://firesprite.com/images/favicon/android-chrome-384x384_hu510cb71b802d5447166d840be08d18a9_11991_96x96_fill_mitchellnetravali_smart1_3.png)
The studio’s lineage with PlayStation goes back even further though. It was originally formed in 2012 by former employees of Sony’s now-shuttered Liverpool Studio, the home of the Wipeout racing franchise.
Current game in development: Though Firesprite is quite the large studio and may have more projects underway, we do know that its first announced game as part of PlayStation Studios is a PSVR 2 exclusive, Horizon Call of the Mountain. Co-developed with Guerrilla, it is the first first-party game announced for the next-gen headset. Otherwise, it’s a huge studio of more than 250 employees who, according to Hermen Hulst in an interview with with gamesindustry.biz, will be working on their own projects as a first-party studio, rather than supporting the games of others like they have in the past. Prior to joining the first party stable, Firesprite was hiring for two games, including a “game-changing huge multiplayer shooter and an ambitious dark narrative blockbuster,” as well as Star Citizen: Theaters of War, but Sony has not commented on what, if any, of those projects will remain in development.
Guerrilla
![www.guerrilla-games.com](https://www.guerrilla-games.com/media/OG/gg-og-image-1200x628.jpg?width=1200&height=630&rmode=crop)
Guerrilla Games
We are Guerrilla, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Killzone and Horizon franchises. Founded in 2000 and based in Amsterdam, we're one of Europe's leading game development companies.
![www.guerrilla-games.com](https://www.guerrilla-games.com/favicon-16x16.png)
Current game in development: Guerrilla just launched Horizon Forbidden West, give them a minute to breathe! But, really, the studio hasn't announced any exact follow-ups just yet, other than the partnership with Firesprite on Call of the Mountain. The studio has continued to support Forbidden West with post-launch patches, but no DLC has been announced. And though not officially announced, Guerrilla in recent years has been hiring for roles with multiplayer experience. Game director Simon Larouche, who previously left Guerrilla to work on Rainbow Six at Ubisoft and has since rejoined, also listed an unannounced title as their current project on their Linkedin Profile. Guerrilla’s continued success with Horizon has cemented it as one of PlayStation’s most exciting studios.
Haven Studios
![havenstudios.com](https://havenstudios.com/uploads/metadata/images/1_Bleep_3840x2160_Final_Haven.jpg)
Housemarque
![housemarque.com](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bfd4f00710699387b6a460a/t/627ba63fd4b34b26ec1ee80e/1652270655645/HMQ_Logo_Vert_Black_RGB.png?format=1500w)
Housemarque
Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Housemarque is a game developer working on console and PC. True to our core gamer audience, we prioritize stratified gameplay mechanics and impeccable audiovisual execution to create euphoric gaming experiences.
Current game in development: Housemarque hasn’t announced its follow-up to Returnal, though the game certainly marked a new era of ambition for what the studio could achieve. At the time of the acquisition, Housemarque’s co-founder and managing director said the team was taking a well-deserved break before jumping into anything new. But before moving on, the studio revealed a surprise to fans that is now available, the Returnal: Ascension 3.0 update, a free addition to the game that adds co-op to its world, as well as a new challenge, The Tower of Sisyphus.
Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games
![insomniac.games](https://insomniac.games/wp-content/themes/insomniacgames/favicons/favicon-196x196.png)
As if that weren’t enough, earlier this year Insomniac revived its beloved platformer series with the PS5 exclusive Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, a beautiful, charming, and fun showcase for the PlayStation 5.
Current game in development: Insomniac isn’t taking it easy after all that, though. While we wouldn’t be surprised if the studio has more of its sleeves, for now, we know to expect Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 in 2023, which will bring Miles and Peter together and introduce Venom to the series. And for even more Marvel, Insomniac is working on a full-sized, mature-in-tone adventure featuring another beloved character with Marvel’s Wolverine.
London Studio
![playstationlondonstudio.com](https://playstationlondonstudio.com/app/uploads/2019/07/LS-Sign-1280x550-1.jpg)
London Studio
London Studio is not your average first party team. We push the boundaries with a pioneer spirit that keeps us on the cutting edge of new tech, with big ideas and boundless enthusiasm.
![playstationlondonstudio.com](https://playstationlondonstudio.com/favicon-32x32.png)
Current game in development: London Studio has been relatively quiet since Blood & Truth’s release, though we certainly hope it’ll put what it learned on PSVR to good use with whatever PlayStation’s next-gen VR headset turns out to be. Behind-the-scenes, the studio appointed two new co-studio heads earlier in 2021, Tara Saunders and Stuart Whyte, but their appointment didn’t offer many details on what’s next. Other than Saunders teasing that their next project “has HUGE potential," and earlier in 2022 we learned that London Studio is indeed working on an online PS5 exclusive.
Malaysia Studio
The Malaysia Studio is one you may not have heard of yet, and there’s a pretty understandable reason - it’s one of Sony’s newest studios, and hasn't been discussed much. Announced in 2019 to open in 2020, Malaysia was opened to provide art and animation for Worldwide Studios’ portfolio, and more recent job listings indicated the studio was working on a “well-known and well-loved” PlayStation franchise.Media Molecule
Last game published: Media Molecule has had its hands full for a little while with its ambitious game-music-movie-whatever-you-want creation suite Dreams. Announced early in the life of the PS4, Dreams stayed in development for quite some time before finally seeing the light of day in 2020. And since then, Media Molecule has continued to support the game with new updates and, just as importantly, support the community with regular spotlights and events like the now annual Impy Awards and DreamsCom.
Current game in development: Dreams continues to be Media Molecule’s future, at least as far as we can tell, and its in-house developers are continuing to make games within Dreams. During DreamsCom, TREN and Ancient Dangers: A Bat’s Tale were announced under the MM Originals banner, indicating the studio’s continued commitment to making games in its highly elastic Dreams system.
Naughty Dog
![www.naughtydog.com](https://s3.amazonaws.com/nd.images/uploads/blog_default-red.png)
Naughty Dog
![www.naughtydog.com](https://s3.amazonaws.com/nd.images/icons/naughty_paw_logo.png)
Current game in development: Speaking of those two Uncharted entries, they’re been remastered for a PC and PS5 release in 2022, packaged up as the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. The collection has hit PS5 and will come to PC later this year. Naughty Dog hasn’t officially announced any other projects just yet, but we do know it’s working on some sort of multiplayer game, which many have been looking forward to ever since plans for a Factions follow-up did not come to fruition for The Last of Us Part 2’s release. And hopefully that wait won’t be too long.
Nixxes Software
Home - NIXXES
![www.nixxes.com](https://www.nixxes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/logo-nixxes-main.png)
Current game in development: Like the Malaysia Studio, it seems that Nixxes will be acting as support to other PlayStation studios. PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst said “Nixxes will be a strong asset for everyone across PlayStation Studios, helping our teams focus on their most important goal, which is to create unique PlayStation content at the best possible quality.” Nixxes has also, in particular, been part of the PC porting and optimization work done for Square Enix’s games, leading many to assume the team may help in further bringing PlayStation games to PC. However, no official projects have yet been announced.
Pixelopus
Last game published: Pixelopus is one of the smallest teams in the PlayStation stable, and most recently made Concrete Genie for the PS4, which allowed players bring its world to life no matter their artistic acumen with an imaginative drawing mechanic.
Current game in development: Pixelopus is working on a new project for the PS5, though we don’t know exactly what it will be. According to recent job listings, we know it will use both the studio’s own engine technology and Unreal Engine 5, and will also be made in collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation, the company behind Oscar-winning hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the Hotel Transylvania franchise, and The Mitchells Vs. the Machines.
Polyphony Digital
products | gran-turismo.com
Current game in development: Much like Guerrilla, Polyphony just released GT7, and as such is focused on post-launch support. THough the latest racing sim's release hasn't been a smooth ride. In addition to some controversy around the price of GT7's microtransactions, the sequel's need to always be online led to over a day of real-world time in which players couldn't access the GT7 servers.
San Diego Studio
Sony San Diego Studio
![sonysandiegostudio.games](https://sonysandiegostudio.games/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cropped-favicon-32x32.png)
Current game in development: Sony officially announced MLB the Show 22 for an April 5 release date, and it will be the first version of the series to appear on Nintendo consoles, with a Switch release confirmed alongside PlayStation and Xbox releases. MLB the Show 22 will feature cross-save, cross-play, and cross-progression across all consoles.
Santa Monica Studio
Santa Monica Studio
Current game in development: Santa Monica Studio is next working on God of War: Ragnarok, the sequel to 2018’s revival and also the closure of the Norse mythology story established in that game. New director Eric Williams, who has been with the series for years, has taken the helm, and players can look forward to Ragnarok coming in 2022 on PS4 and PS5. According to job listings, Santa Monica Studio may have a second project in the works, but no official details have been revealed.
Sucker Punch Productions
Sucker Punch Productions
![www.suckerpunch.com](https://www.suckerpunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/cropped-cropped-SP_CLEAN_WHITE-logo-e1471556784287-32x32.png)
Current game in development: Sucker Punch hasn’t revealed what’s to come next from the studio famous for Sly Cooper, Infamous, and now Ghost. But considering a Ghost of Tsushima movie is in the works, and the incredible sales success of this new franchise, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a return to the world of Jin Sakai.
Team Asobi
![www.teamasobi.com](https://s3.teamasobi.com/site/ogp_teamasobi.jpg)
TeamASOBI
Team ASOBI is an award-winning PlayStation Studio located in Tokyo, developer of ASTRO BOT: Rescue Mission and ASTRO’s PLAYROOM.
Current game in development: Team Asobi is working on new projects, though we don’t know exactly what just yet. But as with other PlayStation studios, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it continue the adventures of Astro, and not just because his head is part of the company’s logo. Playroom continues to define the potential of the DualSense’s haptics, and we can’t wait to see what the studio does next, either in Astro’s world or a new one entirely. Also, Sony, if you want to give Team Asobi the keys to Ape Escape, I won’t complain.
Valkyrie Entertainment
![valkyrie-entertainment.com](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c683f6ce5f7d131ff64c331/t/5fa5bda191b7b0612435317a/1604697513821/LandingpageCovers.jpg?format=1500w)
Valkyrie Entertainment
Game Outsourcing and Game Development in Seattle. Recent projects include God of War, Valorant and League of Legends.
You might not know the team by name, but the studio has assisted on development with a number of games, including both God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarok. They've even aided in development for games like Halo Infinite and Forza Motorsport 7. Specific plans for Valkyrie's work as part of PlayStation have not yet been announced.
XDev
![xdev.software](https://xdev.software/fileadmin/_processed_/e/4/csm_XDEV_Web007_3d1e006209.jpg)
XDEV Software
XDEV Software is a Java tools manufacturer, provider of open source frameworks and service provider for software projects.
![xdev.software](https://xdev.software/favicon.png)
Current game in development: XDev hasn’t announced any new collaborations just yet, but earlier in 2021 job listings pointed to producer roles being hired for XDev to work on AAA games with partners, so expect to hear more soon enough.
Latest update: March 22, 2022 to reflect the Haven Studios acquisition.