Studio Working on Secret PlayStation Game Hit by Layoffs as Sony Reevaluates Portfolio

Deviation Games has laid off a number of developers as Sony reevaluates its portfolio. The studio is currently working on a new original AAA IP with PlayStation.

Several developers from Deviation Games took to LinkedIn to announce that they had been let go of their current positions. These include now-former associate producer Jared Bailey, technical combat and encounter designer Luke Stumpf, and software engineer Kyle Perras.

Not much context or information was provided about the reason for layoffs, but Perras mentioned that Deviation Games “ran into a difficult situation and was forced to make a number of layoffs which I was a part of.” It’s unknown whether the layoffs have anything to do with PlayStation’s project with Deviation Games and its current status.

Deviation Games was founded in June 2021 by Call of Duty veterans Jason Blundell and Dave Anthony, who initially revealed the partnership with PlayStation. However, Blundell left Deviation Games shortly after a year in September 2022.

Deviation Games isn’t the only studio going through layoffs this week. PlayStation’s first-party studio and Concrete Genie developer, PixelOpus, is shutting down on June 2. Ubisoft had a wave of layoffs earlier this week too.

Not much is currently known about Deviation’s new IP, but it’s presumably going to release on PlayStation 5. Sony has also been investing in more multiplayer titles with developers such as Haven Studios and Firewalk Studios, so it’s possible that Deviation’s game will be multiplayer as well.

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