Sony Unveils New AAA PlayStation Studio Expansion

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

A recently surfaced PlayStation job posting reveals Sony's establishment of a new AAA game studio in Los Angeles, California. This marks the 20th first-party studio under the PlayStation umbrella and is currently working on a highly anticipated, original AAA title for the PS5.

The news generates considerable excitement, given PlayStation's impressive portfolio of first-party studios. Fans eagerly await updates on future projects from industry giants like Santa Monica Studio, Naughty Dog, and Insomniac Games. Sony's strategic acquisitions of Housemarque, Bluepoint Games, and Firesprite in recent years have further strengthened its development capabilities. This latest, unannounced studio adds another intriguing element to the PlayStation lineup.

This Los Angeles-based studio is developing a groundbreaking, original AAA IP, as confirmed by the job posting for a Project Senior Producer. Several theories speculate on the studio's origins. One possibility is a spin-off team from Bungie, stemming from the July 2024 layoffs where 155 Bungie employees transitioned to Sony Interactive Entertainment. This includes the team working on Bungie's "Gummybears" incubation project.

A Resurrected Project?

Another strong contender is the team led by Jason Blundell, a veteran Call of Duty developer. Blundell co-founded Deviation Games, a studio developing a AAA PS5 title before its closure in March 2024. Following Blundell's departure from Deviation Games in 2022, many former Deviation Games employees joined PlayStation under Blundell's leadership in May 2024.

Considering the longer gestation period of Blundell's team compared to the Bungie spin-off, it's plausible that PlayStation's new studio houses Blundell's team and might be reviving or reimagining Deviation Games' previously announced project.

While any official announcements from Sony regarding this new studio and its project may be years away, the news offers PlayStation fans a welcome glimpse into the future of first-party game development.