PlayStation-backed Studio Deviation Games is closing down
Deviation Games closes down before revealing its first game for PlayStation
In 2020, Jason Blundell and Dave Anthony, two former leads of Call of Duty: Black Ops series, formed Deviation Games. This studio quickly partnered with Sony to create a new original IP FPS for PlayStation. Now, the studio has confirmed that it is closing down. Sony’s planned Call of Duty competitor will never see the light of day.
At this time, the reason behind Deviation’s closure is unknown. That said, it is probable that the studio had hit development issues, and Sony decided to pull the plug on the studio’s planned FPS game. Jason Blundell had left the studio beck in 2022, and Deviation had already gone through a significant round of layoffs in 2023.
This news comes after the reveal of job cuts across the gaming industry. Last month, EA confirmed that they were axing 6% of its workforce, and Sony revealed 900 job cuts and the closure of their London-based studio. Earlier this year, Microsoft also announced 1,900 job cuts across Xbox and Activision Blizzard.
Back in 2021, Dave Anthony said this to GamesIndustry.Biz. Sadly, his prediction of financial security has not proved to be true.
It’s absolutely mind-blowing. For us, we have never been in a situation like this before, where we’ve got everything we could possibly ask for. From day one of the studio we have complete financial security for years and years to come.
Now, with this partnership with Sony, we can be ourselves. And not only that, when we bring people into the studio, we can promise them that this is our culture. And we can fearlessly create and innovate and be groundbreaking.
In 2024 thousands of jobs within the gaming industry have already been cut, and more news of layoffs is expected as the year progresses. Our hearts go out to those who are affected by these job losses. We hope that anyone affected by them will be able to find new jobs soon.
You can join the discussion on Deviation Games’ closure on the OC3D Forums.
