Sony Launches New AAA PlayStation Studio

Summary

• Sony has quietly opened a new PlayStation studio in Los Angeles, California, as revealed by a recent job listing.
• This unannounced internal studio is developing a major, original AAA title exclusively for the PS5.
• Speculation points to two possibilities: a team spun off from Bungie, or a new group led by former Deviation Games co-founder, Jason Blundell.

A recent PlayStation job posting confirms Sony's establishment of a new AAA game studio in Los Angeles, California. This brings their total number of first-party studios to twenty. The studio is currently shrouded in secrecy, but is reportedly working on a high-profile, original AAA IP for the PS5.

PlayStation's first-party studios are industry giants, making any news about their projects highly anticipated. Fans eagerly await updates from established studios like Santa Monica Studio, Naughty Dog, and Insomniac Games. Sony's recent acquisitions of Housemarque, Bluepoint Games, and Firesprite further expanded their first-party lineup. Now, a mysterious new addition joins the ranks.

Located in Los Angeles, this unnamed studio is creating a "groundbreaking" original AAA game. This information comes from a job listing for a Project Senior Producer, which explicitly mentions a "newly-established AAA studio" in the city. Several theories exist regarding the studio's origins. One possibility is a team formed from Bungie's Gummybears incubation project. This project emerged following the July 2024 Bungie layoffs, where 155 employees transitioned to Sony Interactive Entertainment over several quarters.

PlayStation's Newest Internal Studio: A Resurrection?

Another strong contender for the new studio's identity is the team led by Jason Blundell, a prominent Call of Duty: Black Ops developer. Blundell co-founded Deviation Games, a studio working on a AAA PS5 title, before departing in 2022. Deviation Games ultimately closed in March 2024. However, it was revealed in May 2024 that many former Deviation Games employees joined PlayStation under Blundell's leadership.

Considering Blundell's team has been forming longer than the potential Bungie offshoot, it's plausible that PlayStation's new studio houses his team. The nature of Blundell's project remains unknown, but speculation suggests it might be a continuation or reboot of Deviation Games' abandoned AAA title. While any official announcements from Sony may be years away, the news of another first-party PlayStation game in development is exciting for fans.