Jason Blundell, a studio head you may acknowledge for being one of many principal creatives behind Name of Responsibility Zombies throughout his time at Treyarch, introduced on Monday that he’s based a brand new studio inside PlayStation Studios referred to as Darkish Outlaw Video games.
That is two years after Blundell left the studio he beforehand co-founded, Deviation Video games. If that studio title doesn’t ring a bell, that’s no shock since they have been solely based in 2021, Blundell then left in 2022 shortly after they kicked off manufacturing of their would-be debut sport, solely to close their doorways in 2024, with out releasing something.
Deviation had additionally been working with PlayStation on a brand new title, so it’s clear that Blundell didn’t go away his Sony contacts behind when he left Deviation.
Now, his new studio is beginning out as a PlayStation subsidiary and a brand new member of the PlayStation Studios group, although it’s presently unknown in the event that they’re engaged on a model new IP, which was the case with Deviation, or if Darkish Outlaw is engaged on a pre-existing Sony IP.
Blundell introduced the studio on the newest episode of Jeff Gerstmann’s Bonus podcast, the place he started by saying “I’ve had the superb alternative to create a brand new studio inside PlayStation Studios for Sony.”
“The studio known as Darkish Outlaw. And so Darkish Outlaw Video games have been working away within the shadows for some time, and after we’ve obtained one thing to speak about, we’ll step out into the sunshine. However you realize the story for me is in regards to the sport, not in regards to the studio, so the rationale why we’re not doing a fanfare or shout about it from the rooftops is like, ‘let’s get one thing,’ proper?
And it’s such a privilege to have the ability to do it with Sony as a brand new first-party studio. You already know, Sony doesn’t arrange first-party studios on a regular basis. So to have that privilege is humbling – it’s very nice. I’m actually excited.”
Blundell and the remainder of the presently unknown Darkish Outlaw group is perhaps holding again for now as a result of they don’t actually have something concrete to indicate, however he does make it clear as to why he’s even mentioning the studio now, which is that they’re trying to rent extra builders.
“We’re presently staffing up, protecting it sort of lowkey – been going for slightly little bit of time now. Not gonna actually remark about what we’re doing precisely, however it’s like we talked about getting the group to gel, getting the concepts clicking proper, let’s take a look at these – you realize, I’m a programmer at coronary heart – so let’s take a look at these assumptions, and you realize, ‘is it working?’
It’s very thrilling and I like the actual fact nonetheless, at this level in my profession, I’m given these alternatives. And it’s all the time that want to need to put that one further disc on the wall, if you’ll, and may we convey one thing to an viewers and excite them and get some new IPs or [something] thrilling or harmful. That makes me bounce away from bed each morning.”
Supply – [Jeff Gerstmann’s Bonus Podcast via Gematsu]