PlayStation London Studio Officially Shuts Down

Summary

London Studio's closure is part of PlayStation's restructuring efforts, marking the end of a storied 20-year history in game development.
The studio was known for creating interactive experiences like SingStar and PlayStation VR Worlds, leaving a legacy in the gaming industry.
Fans of London Studio's work, especially PlayStation Home, may be disappointed as the studio's closure signals an end to potential future projects.

PlayStation's London Studio has officially shuttered its doors after more than two decades of operation. The closure was first announced in February 2024 amid significant restructuring efforts at PlayStation, and marks the third internal studio the company has shut down since the launch of the PS5 in 2020.

Founded in 2002, London Studio was one of the oldest first-party studios under the PlayStation umbrella. Alongside assisting with development on some of PlayStation's biggest games, the studio was also known for creating interactive gaming experiences, like SingStar, Everybody Dance, PlayStation Home, PlayStation VR Worlds, the Eye Toy games, and most recently, 2019's Blood and Truth for PlayStation VR. Back in 2022, it was confirmed that London Studio was developing a live-service PS5 exclusive, a brand-new IP based in a fantasy London setting.

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By Jack Peachey

Sadly, February 2024 saw London Studio's closure being announced amid layoffs of 900 employees across PlayStation worldwide. In a recent heartfelt statement on Twitter, London Studio expressed its gratitude to players and colleagues who supported the studio throughout its journey, highlighting the "exceptionally talented" developers who worked at the studio and acknowledging the "wild and wonderful journey" they shared in building creative and engaging games throughout PlayStation's storied history.

London Studio's Shutdown May Have Been Part of Sony's Live-Service Rollback

The live-service game London Studio was working on won't see the light of day either, unfortunately, as it was canceled during the February restructuring efforts at Sony Interactive Entertainment. While there's no official confirmation on what happened with the game behind the scenes, it may have been facing some development troubles, considering it was intended to be live-service where monetization strategies can be make or break. It's been rumored for a while that Sony may be rethinking its live-service strategy, especially after the cancelation of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Online live-service project.

The closure of London Studio still stings, though, especially for PlayStation fans who have been privy to the studio's glory days back in the PS3 generation. 2008's PlayStation Home was one of the most ahead-of-its-time games in the industry, creating a "metaverse" long before the term even existed. In recent years, there's been a resurgence of fans asking Sony to bring PlayStation Home back and capitalize on its novel metaverse concept, even more so now that the company sells the PlayStation VR2 headset, which can dial up the immersion of a potential live-service Home even further. Unfortunately, with London Studio gone, those requests will most likely go unanswered.

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