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PlayStation Studios

Division of Sony Interactive Entertainment From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PlayStation Studios (formerly SCE Worldwide Studios and SIE Worldwide Studios) is a division of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) that oversees the video game development at the studios owned by SIE. The division was established as SCE Worldwide Studios in September 2005 and rebranded as PlayStation Studios in 2020 to include the PlayStation brand.

Formerly
  • SCE Worldwide Studios (2005–2016)
  • SIE Worldwide Studios (2016–2020)
IndustryVideo games
FoundedSeptember 1, 2005; 21 years ago (2005-09-01)
Quick facts Formerly, Type ...
PlayStation Studios
Formerly
  • SCE Worldwide Studios (2005–2016)
  • SIE Worldwide Studios (2016–2020)
TypeDivision
IndustryVideo games
FoundedSeptember 1, 2005; 21 years ago (2005-09-01)
Headquarters
San Mateo, California
London, England
Tokyo, Japan
Key people
  • Hermen Hulst (head of PlayStation Studios)
  • Scott Rohde (head of internal production)
  • John Rostron (head of external production)
Number of employees
≈4,000[1] (2022)
ParentSony Interactive Entertainment
SubsidiariesSee § Studios
Websiteplaystation.com/en-us/corporate/playstation-studios/
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History

On September 14, 2005, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE, now known as Sony Interactive Entertainment), the video game arm of Sony, announced the formation of SCE Worldwide Studios earlier that month, combining all studios SCE owned at the time. Phil Harrison was appointed as the division's president;[2] he resigned in February 2008.[3] Kazuo Hirai became acting president,[4] succeeded by Shuhei Yoshida in May 2008.[5] When Yoshida moved to lead the indie game development of SIE, Hermen Hulst, previously of SIE's Guerrilla Games studio, became the president of SIE Worldwide Studios in November 2019.[6] The studios productions are generally supported by the Visual Arts Services Group, founded in 2007 in San Diego.[7]

SIE announced the rebranding of the division to PlayStation Studios in May 2020 as part of the introduction of the PlayStation 5, which was released later that year. PlayStation Studios serves as the publishing brand for Sony's first-party development studios, as well as for games developed by studios brought in by Sony in work-for-hire situations.[8]

In 2022, Sony stated half of its first-party PlayStation Studios games will be on personal computers (PC) and mobile by 2025.[9] In August 2022, SIE announced the formation of the PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, alongside the acquisition of the company's first mobile development team, Savage Game Studios,[10] later renamed Neon Koi.[11] In February 2024, Sony announced it would eliminate 900 jobs, or 8% of SIE and PlayStation Studios employees. These cuts included the closure of London Studio.[12][13]

In July 2024, Sony and Bungie announced that as part of restructuring at Bungie, one of the studio's incubation projects would be spun out, with the team behind the game forming a new studio within PlayStation Studios, later on in May 2025 it being revealed as teamLFG.[14][15] In October 2024, Sony announced the closure of Neon Koi and Firewalk Studios.[16][17] In March 2025, Sony formed Dark Outlaw Games, a new studio under PlayStation Studios, led by Jason Blundell.[18] In an August 2025 financial briefing, Sony CFO Lin Tao stated that SIE planned to fully integrate and oversee Bungie as a developer within the core PlayStation Studios lineup, after initially allowing them to function as an independent subsidiary since their acquisition in 2022.[19] On February 19, 2026, Sony announced that they will shut down Bluepoint Games.[20] On March 24th, 2026, it was reported by Jason Schreier that Dark Outlaw Games were closing down.[21]

Studios

More information Name, Location/s ...
Name Location/s Founded Acquired Notable releases
Bend Studio Bend, Oregon 1993[22] 2000[22] Syphon Filter, Resistance: Retribution, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Days Gone[22]
Firesprite Liverpool 2012[23] 2021[24] Run Sackboy! Run!, Horizon Call of the Mountain, Until Dawn 2[22]
Guerrilla Games Amsterdam 2000[22] 2005[22] Killzone, Horizon[22]
Haven Studios Montreal 2021[25] 2022[25] Fairgame$[26]
Housemarque Helsinki 1995[27] 2021[28] Super Stardust HD, Dead Nation, Resogun, Alienation, Matterfall, Returnal, Saros[22]
Insomniac Games Burbank, California 1994[22] 2019[29] Spyro (1998-2000), Ratchet & Clank, Resistance, Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Wolverine[22]
Durham, North Carolina[30]
Malaysia Studio Kuala Lumpur 2020[31] Support for first-party titles, such as The Last of Us Part I and MLB The Show 22[32]
Media Molecule Guildford 2006[22] 2010[22] LittleBigPlanet, Tearaway, Dreams[22]
Naughty Dog Santa Monica, California 1984[22] 2001[22] Crash Bandicoot (1996-1999), Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, The Last of Us, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet[22]
Nixxes Software Utrecht 1999[22] 2021[33] Windows ports and support work for various first-party PlayStation titles; Xbox Series X/S port of Helldivers 2[34][35][36]
Polyphony Digital Tokyo 1998[22] Gran Turismo, Motor Toon Grand Prix, Omega Boost, Tourist Trophy[22]
San Diego Studio San Diego 2001[22] The Mark of Kri, NBA, MLB: The Show[22]
San Mateo Studio San Mateo, California 1998[37] Support studio for second-party developers[38]
Santa Monica Studio Los Angeles 1999[22] Kinetica, God of War[22]
Sucker Punch Productions Bellevue, Washington 1997[22] 2011[22] Sly Cooper, Infamous, Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yōtei[22]
Team Asobi Tokyo 2021[a] The Playroom, Astro Bot[40]
teamLFG Bellevue, Washington 2025[41]
Valkyrie Entertainment Seattle, Washington 2002[42] 2021[42] Support studio for various franchises such as Infamous, God of War, and Twisted Metal[22]
XDev Liverpool 2000[43] Works with external developers across Europe, on projects such as Until Dawn, Detroit: Become Human, and Kena: Scars of Kosmora[44][45]
Tokyo 2020[46] Works with external developers across Japan and South Korea, on projects such as Rise of the Ronin, Stellar Blade, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls[43][47]
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Former

More information Name, Location ...
Name Location Founded Acquired Divested Fate Notable releases
Bigbig Studios Leamington Spa 2001[48] 2007[49] 2012[48] Closed[48] Pursuit Force, MotorStorm: Arctic Edge, Little Deviants
Bluepoint Games Austin, Texas 2006[50] 2021[51] 2026[52] Closed[52] Blast Factor, Shadow of the Colossus (PS4), Demon's Souls (PS5)
Dark Outlaw Games Los Angeles 2025[18] 2026[53] Closed[53] Studio led by Call of Duty veteran Jason Blundell
Evolution Studios Runcorn 1999[49] 2007[49] 2016[54] Closed[54] WRC (2001-2005), MotorStorm, Driveclub
Firewalk Studios Bellevue, Washington 2018[55] 2023[55] 2024[56] Closed[56] Concord
Guerrilla Cambridge Cambridge 1997[57] 2017[57] Closed[57] MediEvil, Primal, LittleBigPlanet (PSP), TV Superstars, Killzone: Mercenary, RIGS: Mechanized Combat League
Incognito Entertainment Salt Lake City 1999[58] 2002[58] 2009[59] Closed[59] Twisted Metal (2001-2005), War of the Monsters, Downhill Domination, Calling All Cars!, Warhawk
Japan Studio Tokyo 2005[60] 2021[61] Reorganized within SIE, primarily to Team Asobi[39] Ape Escape, The Legend of Dragoon, Ico, Siren, Shadow of the Colossus, Rogue Galaxy, LocoRoco, Patapon, Gravity Rush, Tokyo Jungle, Puppeteer, Knack, Astro Bot (2013-2020), The Last Guardian
London Studio London 2002[22] 2024 Closed[13] This Is Football (2002-2006), EyeToy games, SingStar, The Getaway: Black Monday, Gangs of London, PlayStation Home, Wonderbook, PlayStation VR Worlds, Blood & Truth, Erica
Manchester Studio Manchester 2015[22] 2020[62] Closed[62] CSAR: Combat (Cancelled), Search, and Rescue (Cancelled)
Neon Koi Berlin 2020[10] 2022[10] 2024[56] Closed[56] Mobile Division
Helsinki
Pixelopus San Mateo, California 2014[22] 2023 Closed[63] Entwined, Concrete Genie
Studio Liverpool Liverpool 1984[49] 1993[49] 2012[64] Closed[64] Formula One, Wipeout (1995-2012)
Zipper Interactive Redmond, Washington 1995[65] 2006[49] 2012[65] Closed[65] SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs, MAG, Unit 13
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See also

Notes

  1. Team Asobi was first established in 2012 as an internal team of Japan Studio, and was spun off as its own independent studio in 2021.[39]

References

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