Sony Shuts Down Bluepoint Games in Surprise Studio Closure
In a shocking move, Sony has decided to close Bluepoint Games, the acclaimed studio responsible for the highly praised remakes of Demon's Souls and Shadow of the Colossus. This unexpected closure, reported by Bloomberg, directly impacts approximately 70 employees and is scheduled to take effect next month.
PlayStation Issues Official Statement
A PlayStation spokesperson provided a statement to Bloomberg, acknowledging the studio's contributions: "Bluepoint Games is an incredibly talented team and their technical expertise has delivered exceptional experiences for the PlayStation community. We thank them for their passion, creativity and craftsmanship."
Employee Reactions and Studio History
Employees have begun sharing their sentiments online. Peter Dalton, the studio's head of technology, expressed his dismay on social media, stating, "Unfortunately, Bluepoint's time is over. It has been a great studio with an abundance of talent. Right now, I feel like I've been kicked in the gut. But onto better things."
Founded in 2006, Bluepoint Games built a strong reputation through its work on several PlayStation collections. The studio played a significant role in developing the Nathan Drake Collection for the PlayStation 4 and the God of War Collection for the PlayStation 3. Additionally, Bluepoint provided support for titles such as PlayStation AllStars and Titanfall.
Acquisition and Unrealised Projects
Despite its long-standing collaboration with PlayStation, Bluepoint Games was not officially acquired by Sony until 2021. Following this acquisition, the studio did not release any new games prior to its closure.
According to further reports from Bloomberg, Bluepoint was reportedly developing a live-service God of War game after becoming part of Sony. However, this project was allegedly scrapped before it could be publicly announced. The studio was also in the process of pitching new projects, but none gained sufficient traction to proceed.
Implications for a Bloodborne Remake
Bluepoint Games' expertise in remastering and revitalising older titles for modern consoles had fueled widespread speculation that the studio might be tasked with remaking FromSoftware's 2015 classic, Bloodborne. This hope was further ignited when an indie developer received a cease and desist order from Sony for working on an unofficial Bloodborne remake, leading to assumptions that Bluepoint might be handling an official version.
With the studio's closure, the likelihood of a Bloodborne remake has significantly diminished, leaving fans disappointed. The absence of any official announcement or confirmation from Sony regarding such a project now seems even more definitive in light of these developments.
