What are PlayStation Studios working on - A look at their studios
2022 was a big year for PlayStation Studios, not only did they release some amazing games, including God of War Ragnarok. They also bought veteran developer Bungie, along with newer studios Haven Studios and Savage Game Studios.
With some of the bigger names of the PlayStation stable now out the gate, does 2023 have more big hits in store, or are we looking at a smaller scale year? That is clearly a joke as PlayStation are kicking off the year by releasing their PlayStation VR2 headset and a few games, but while that is going to be big for them in terms of focus, the insane price point is likely to turn away impulse buyers.
But enough blather, let us take a look at what the PlayStation family might be up to for 2023.
Bend Studio
Series known to them: Syphon Filter series, Days Gone
This year will see 4 years having passed since the developers of Days Gone shipped the aforementioned game and in that time, all we have seen from them is a new logo. While their last game was in 2019, the game before then was way back in 2012, so they are clearly willing to take their time and not pump out games, which is likely due to them getting pulled in to support other PlayStation studios titles from time to time.
We know that the studio is working on something new, as Kevin McAllister revealed via the PlayStation Blog when they revealed their new logo, the full statement is below.
We are currently working on a new IP that includes multiplayer and builds upon the open-world systems of Days Gone, but brings you a whole new world that we are extremely excited to craft for you. We cannot wait to reveal it to you when the time is right.
What all this means though is that there is a chance we will see something this year, likely via a State of Play event, the only question is when.
Bluepoint Games
Series known to them: Demon’s Souls Remake, Shadow of the Colossus
Since the PlayStation 5 debut title Demon’s Souls was released, the recently obtained studio Bluepoint Games have been hard at work helping out on God of War: Ragnarok. The studio isn’t massive, with only 70 staff reported at the last count, so it would be more than likely that the entire studio was helping Santa Monica Studio get their Kratos game over the line.
We have been told previously that they are working on an all-new original game, however there are no other details beyond that. It does mean that fans of their remake work shouldn’t get excited anytime soon. The big question though is will we see this new game this year? Honestly, its hard to say one way or the other. If the entire group was working on GoW:R then its unlikely we will see anything from them, if however there were still folks working on this new game, a trailer could be in the cards.
Bungie
Series known to them: Destiny series
About two weeks after Microsoft bought Activision-Blizzard, PlayStation revealed that they would be buying out developer Bungie, bringing the studio that created Halo under control of PlayStation. One of the big parts of the deal though, was that Bungie would remain as they were and continue to operate independently and making games for multiple platforms, similar to how Mojang works for Xbox.
2023 will see the next expansion for Destiny 2, called Lightfall, release on all platforms on February 28th and while that would be enough for some developers, Bungie keep on keeping on. Expect to see seasonal updates throughout the year such as the Guardians Games or Festival of the Lost. What we shouldn’t expect is anything outside of Destiny 2, because the developers have a plan, with the next expansion currently called The Final Shape, will be releasing in early 2024, the reveal of which should take place later in the year.
Firesprite
Series known to them: The Persistence, The Playroom
Just hours before I hit publish on last years story for PlayStation, it was revealed that Firesprite’s first title since being bought out would be Horizon: Call of the Mountain and we now know that it will be a launch title for the PlayStation VR2. After their recent buyout and then the subsequent purchase of another studio, the group have almost 300 staff working there.
We know that they are going to be finishing up Horizon VR, but with that launching early in the year, there is a chance that we might see something from them again later in the year. The likely culprit is a PlayStation VR2 version of The Persistence, but given the studio has also made VR demos before, we could see something along those lines. For now though, we have to wait and see, because whatever happens next, we likely won’t hear anything until after Call of the Wild ships.
Guerrilla Games
Series known to them: Killzone series, Horizon series
2022 was a big year for Guerrilla Games, as they finally released their long awaited sequel Horizon Forbidden West, but they still had more news to share. We got word that they were bringing the world of Horizon to VR, with developer Firesprite and that they were working on remastering the PlayStation 4 version of Horizon Zero Dawn for PlayStation 5.
But this year could be even bigger for the studio, as we shall see the release of Horizon: Call of the Wild, the VR title, but then there is the recently announced expansion for Horizon Forbidden West, Burning Shores. Something that is a little weird though, is that it’s only coming to PlayStation 5, so PlayStation 4 owners will not get to experience this new micro-adventure. That may not be the end of everything as more Horizon news is likely, with reports surfacing of a MMO title being developed by NCSoft and Guerrilla, plus there is the TV series being developed by Netflix. While Horizon is big for the studio, there is always the chance of something new or a revisit to the world of Resistance, and given they have two teams, anything is possible.
Haven Studios
Series known to them: Nothing yet
There is not much we can say about this developer. The studio was founded by industry veteran Jade Raymond, who rose to prominence with the first few Assassin’s Creed titles. She was also responsible for the foundation and early work from Ubisoft Toronto and upon leaving Ubisoft, she started up Motive Studios for Electronic Arts, who are about to ship the Dead Space remake.
Haven Studio was started up during 2021 and a year later, Sony bought them out based on what they are working on in house. Sadly there is next to nothing about the game that they are working on, at least that has been made public. We do know that the game was PlayStation aligned before the buy out though, so whatever it is, should take full advantage of the hardware.
Housemarque
Series known to them: Super Stardust series, Matterfall, Returnal
It has now been 2 years since Returnal made its debut into the world and developer Housemarque have been supporting the game with post launch content, including an option to save your progress mid run. We know that Housemarque has staffed up big over the past few years, given the scope of Returnal it was expected, but does this mean much for their gaming designs?
Interestingly we know the studio tends to have multiple projects in development at one time, with the bulk of the staff assigned to Returnal, now that it is long out the door, what is next? Honestly there isn’t a whole lot of information around for their next game, active recruitment is still happening for artists, programmers and just about every other aspect of game development. It is possible that their other game Stormdivers may get some attention again, given development was paused to focus on Returnal, but it is more likely that given the success of the aforementioned game, they are working on that IP more.
Insomniac Games
Series known to them: Spyro the Dragon series, Ratchet & Clank series, Resistance series, Spider-Man
The last few years have been very good for Insomniac Games, they got bought up by PlayStation, released a great family accessible game in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and a full game and a mini game based around the little known character, Spider-Man. Ok, so that last one was a lie, the character is very well known and both the base game and its standalone expansion were very well received on both PlayStation platforms and last year on PC.
2023 will see the release of Spider-Man 2 in the Spring months (Autumn for the Northern Hemisphere) for PlayStation 5 and that console only, so don’t go hoping for a PlayStation 4 release of it. PC players might get the game, but it will likely be at least 12 months until it swings onto there, but there is no word on that happening at this time. While there hasn’t been any news on the game since its debut, a fan asked the question of the developer on Twitter back in October and this was the response.
We're making good progress and it's still slated for 2023. Showing games takes time, effort, resources, and coordination.
With it dated for Spring 2023, expect to hear more about the game as the year goes on, assuming there is no delay. As for Wolverine, that is the next game after this one, so outside of a potential trailer, I doubt that there won’t be anything new to discover this year on Logan’s game.
London Studio
Series known to them: Singstar series, Blood & Truth
Over the years, London Studio has developed a reputation for leading the charge on PlayStations plastic accessories front, they were the studio who developed Singstar, turned the Eye-Toy into something and were one of the first developers to create a full game in VR. But since their early VR work wrapped the studio has been pretty quiet, well until October last year.
While the game has been announced, details are still a bit scarce, but there is this quote that explains a little about it.
"We are proud of the history and innovation that we've done over the years, supporting all sorts of PlayStation technology, whether that's VR, or AR, or microphones, or whatever," says co-studio head Stuart Whyte. "With this project, we really wanted to explore some new avenues and set ourselves some new challenges. We definitely wanted to try something a little bit different, and I think this new project really channels our 'brave' value and allows us to push ourselves on the 'curious' front, too. It's an exciting future, it really is."
What we do know about the game is that its setting takes place within a modern fantasy London and no that doesn’t mean wider streets, but dragons and such. The game will also be built for the PlayStation 5 and offer a full co-operative action experience. With the game only just getting teased last year, a full reveal is the only likely thing on the cards this year, though we do have this cool piece of art to enjoy.
Media Molecule
Series known to them: Little Big Planet series, Tearaway series, Dreams
It has been a number of years since Dreams released and it has its fans, but for the average gamer, its not really a game. That hasn’t stopped the team at the studio from delivering plenty of feature updates over the past few years and that is unlikely to stop anytime soon.
In early 2022, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan made mention that they were going to invest in more live service games, like Destiny and The Division. While there were no details from that, or the reveal of anything since that is connected to anything like that, people have noticed that many of the jobs the studio are hiring for align quite nicely with that type of game. Given those roles are still be advertised, there is a fair chance development is still very much in the early stages, so outside of a logo or teaser trailer, we are unlikely to hear anything significant about it this year. Dreams though, they will keep updating that.
Naughty Dog
Series known to them: Crash Bandicoot series, Jak and Daxter, Uncharted series, The Last of Us series
In 2022 Naughty Dog announced a game and then released, well it was accidentally leaked first, but The Last of Us Part 1 was released on PlayStation 5. A complete remake of the PlayStation 4 version, which was based on the PlayStation 3 original, the game drew much praise for just how well it was done, as it did not make a heap of unneeded changes. It was during that segment at Summer Games Fest, that we learnt more about the future of the studio.
The first thing is that a multiplayer focused game, that is set within the world of The Last of Us is in active development, with a few pieces of art being shown off. We also got confirmation that Neil Druckmann is stepping back into the world of game development, working on something totally new. The confirmation of his game was so early, that there was nothing shown for it, so we have no idea what it is or when it might be ready, so hold expectations there. Of course, the studio will be in the headlines later this month when The Last of Us, the tv series hits Binge and then The Last of Us Part 1 is back again in March but for PC.
Nixxes
Series known to them: None
While this studio is not one you may not know by name, they have been around for over 20 years, working on countless games across the industry. For years their most prolific partner was Crystal Dynamics, with the studio helping to port many of their games to other platforms. In more recent years they have been assisting with development of games, including creating patches that are often released after the game launches.
Now that the studio is owned by Sony their primary focus seems to be the porting of first party title to PC, most recently the two Spider-Man games. With their work on Horizon Zero Dawn, it is possible that Forbidden West might get the PC treatment via the studio this year, but there is nothing out there to support that. Given their quiet nature, even if a new PC port of a PlayStation game is announced, we may not learn that it was them until after it ships, or just before.
Pixelopus
Series known to them: Entwined, Concrete Genie
Back in 2019, Pixelopus saw the release of Concrete Genie and since then the studio has been very, very quiet on their next project. Through a job listing it was revealed that the title would be something in conjunction with Sony Pictures Animation, but beyond that, nothing else was known about the title. Sadly there has not been anything revealed from either group and there are no rumours as to what the project is.
The studio is only small, around 20 staff at the last count, so I wouldn’t expect a Far Cry or Grand Theft Auto sized game, so anyone hoping that the game is connected to this years Across the Spider-Verse movie needs to taper their expectations. The Animation group has a number of movies in the works, Ghostbusters, K-Pop: Demon Hunters, Bubble, Tao and Tut. With most of those movies not releasing this year, if this project is connected to them, it won’t be out this year, if however it’s its own thing, then it could be released this year do you follow? But whatever it is, I would hope we get to hear something soon on their next work as Concrete Genie was amazing.
Polyphony Digital
Series known to them: Gran Turismo series
As Gran Turismo 7 released last year and the studio is not known for releasing more than one game every 5 years, expecting a new game from them this year would be crazy. What we should expect is more new content and updates to Gran Turismo 7, even if the updates are not quite the ones players are after.
In a strange non-game related event, Polyphony Digital do occasionally create elements for cars, so there is a chance we might see their name pop up at various auto shows during the year. Likely more so if they bring Gran Turismo 7 to them, but those would be considered long shots. It is of course entirely possible that we might see a PC port of Gran Turismo 7 release later in the year and given the series is 25 years old now, that would be a great get for PC players. However, given the secrecy of Sony and their PC plans, there is no way of knowing at this time.
San Diego Studio
Series known to them: MLB The Show series, Modnation Racers series
It shouldn’t be said, as its quite predictable, but here we go, expect to see MLB The Show 24 this year on all consoles. Last year saw the series make its debut on Switch, joining Xbox which got the game a year before and of course, both join PlayStation where it has been since 2006.
With the studio basically focused on nothing but the series, expecting anything else from them this year is highly unlikely. Of course, the game will see a release on PlayStation 5, but the question is will it drop the PlayStation 4 edition this year? God of War Ragnarök was the last first party game to release for PlayStation 4 and if there is no MLB The Show 24 from the studio, it would be one heck of a swan song. Given the Switch getting support, there is no reason for the studio to not release the game on PlayStation 4, plus they have kept older consoles going for a while after new platforms launched. The problem is that the studio remains silent on new games, until about 12 weeks out from launch and then they start to deliver news, so waiting to find out will only take a few weeks.
Santa Monica Studio
Series known to them: God of War series
As the studio just shipped their biggest game ever late last year, the odds of them having another game ready to go or even reveal this year is unlikely. More so when you consider just how many folks from other studios came on board to help make that game.
It has never happened before, but it is possible we might get some DLC for the game, but that likelihood of that is in the low single digits. If the dev cycle holds true for the studio, whatever is next may not appear until 2025, so we wouldn’t hear anything on it this year, but who knows surprises do happen.
Savage Game Studios
Series known to them: Nothing yet
This is a newly formed studio that PlayStation bought last year, so they haven’t released anything yet. What is odd is that the studio isn’t large, maybe 30 people at last count, but they have two locations. One of them is in Berlin, Germany but the main office is in Helsinki, Finland.
One of the studio founders has worked with Rovio, Zynga and more, all of which are known for their mobile game titles, so it makes sense that this studio is going to make mobile games. The PlayStation Studios Mobile Division’s first studio is this one, so the only question is, will their debut game be an original title or will it be set within an existing PlayStation world, I mean Kratos is due for a good mobile game.
Sucker Punch Productions
Series known to them: Sly Cooper series, Infamous series, Ghost of Tsushima
Sucker Punch was the studio that I bought a PlayStation 4.. for… as I absolutely adored the Infamous series on PlayStation 3. When they announced their next game was going to be a historical adventure, Ghost of Tsushima it was nothing like I could have expected and I loved it as well. The last real update for the game was the Director’s Cut and the Iki Island expansion, but both of those were released in 2021, since then the studio has been quiet.
Well, there was a break in the silence last year when it was revealed that the Chad Stahelski directed movie, Ghost of Tsushima, had a writer in Takashi Doscher and confirmation that Sucker Punch will be producing it. While the expansion of the game was decently sized, there is no way of knowing if all 190~ staff worked on it. There is a fair chance that they did not, so if you assume maybe 30% were working on the next title, we might see something from it this year, even if its just a trailer.
Team Asobi
Series known to them: Astro Bot series
It has been more than 2 years now since the tech demo Astro's Playroom launched alongside the PlayStation 5 and the studio has been radio silent on their next project. The group did get spun out of Japan Studio back in 2021 and they were actively hiring soon after, but beyond that, there is nothing public about their plans.
Given the success of Astro Bot, both in the Playroom game and the VR only Rescue Mission, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see them releasing a new VR game for the PlayStation VR2, even if its just a port of Rescue Mission. The studio were the ones behind The Playroom VR for the PlayStation VR, so its possible we might see a compilation of smaller titles to show off the tech for the new headset, we just have to wait and see.
So there you go, a run down of all the current PlayStation Studios members, including what we know and suspect they are working on. Do you think we are right on our predictions, or are we missing something else? Be sure to let us know
