A gaming studio formed by former Call of Duty developers has announced that it is closing down. The news comes after the studio did not ship any games for the PlayStation.
The closure is one of the many layoffs happening in the gaming and tech industries. Earlier, Microsoft announced a considerable layoff of its Xbox workforce after its takeover of Activision. This is a big blow after the studio was reported to be developing a platform-exclusive first-person shooter for the PlayStation 5.
Deviation Games shuts down and ends partnership with Sony
The news of the PlayStation partner Deviation Games closing down was shared by its head of operations, Kriste Stull. A reason for the closing was not shared, but she was thankful to every developer who worked with Deviation. She also shared a networking event to take place soon, inviting companies that were looking for game developers.
Deviation Games, the studio formed by Jason Blundell and several former Treyarch/Call of Duty games, has shut down.
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) March 9, 2024
The studio was partnering with PlayStation for an upcoming game.
Jason Blundell has since joined Sony PlayStation Studios to work on an unannounced project pic.twitter.com/962mdHiJXQ
Deviation Games was formed by Dave Anthony and Jason Blundell. They had previously worked with Treyarch on the development of several Call of Duty titles. The popular zombie mode was the brainchild of Blundell during his time working there.
The news of the closing should not come as a surprise, though. Blundell left Deviation Games less than a year after it had announced the PlayStation deal. Last year, it announced the laying off of 90 staff after citing that they had ‘run into a difficult position’.
Sony reportedly removed 900 developers from its workforce working in various studios last month. This news came when a multiplayer mode for The Last of Us was canceled. It was reported that Sony was undergoing a major restructuring during this phase. That could be a major reason for the closure of Deviation Studios, which was signed with Sony.
Fans shocked after Deviation Games call it quits
The news has surprised many since the studio did not reveal anything about the title even after 3 years of the deal. There was no release of in-game images or a gameplay trailer. Fans were hoping that the studio would bring something new to the FPS scene that could challenge the heavyweights’s Call of Duty and Battlefield.
Some even called the canceled title ‘Call of Duty killer.’
R.I.P COD Killer
— TheGamingProphetNYC (@nyc_prophet) March 9, 2024
Others were sensing trouble brewing between Jason Blundell and Sony.
Jason Blundells never making a game with Sony bro it's so over
— Ultimis_Aether (@UAether) March 9, 2024
Earlier, during the announcement of the new title back in 2021, Blundell said that the studio had super high ambitions. They were looking to make a content-rich game focusing on lots of action and energy.
It would have been cool if Deviation showed some concept art relating to the canceled title. Let’s hope we get to look at those sometime in the future.
