Sumo Digital, the UK developer behind PS5 launch title Sackboy: A Big Adventure, has announced it is cancelling a new IP it had in the works to focus entirely on game production for external partners. The LittleBigPlanet spin-off is just one example of the work the studio believes is its "core strength and the foundation of our success", so it's now decided to double down on those efforts instead of creating its own, original experiences.
In a statement, it's explained the company must "balance our creative ambitions and the commercial realities to ensure the long-term stability and success of our business". It's suggested the business change "will have an impact on our studios and people", suggesting the team will suffer from layoffs. "We are committed to minimising this impact as much as possible, exploring all options to retain talent, and supporting those affected with transparency, care, and compassion."
Alongside the aforementioned Sackboy: A Big Adventure, the developer has worked on LittleBigPlanet 3, Team Sonic Racing, Snake Pass, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. "Whether collaborating on new or established games, co-developing games, providing specialist engineering, or porting services; we are confident in our teams’ exceptional talent and our ability to thrive in this next chapter," the statement said.
[source sumogroupltd.com]
Comments 24
Sad honestly. They're a talented studio and Snake Pass proved they can come up with really unique ideas when not chained to licenced franchises.
Aren't they also working on a new PlayStation exclusive? Believe we saw a leak a few years ago that showed that they were working on a new game
Oh I completely forgot they did Snake Pass! That game was such a fun little game with a unique concept.
Most of the time with decisions like this I feel if the game was good enough they would have been allowed to continue development. Games get cancelled the whole time, we are just starting to find out about them more often now.
@Americansamurai1 The likelihood of that game being canceled (though I suspect it was already) is pretty high.
@RBMango that would be disappointing since I think it was going to be open world
Bet it was another live service game knowing Sony at the moment.
Playing sackboy now and would love a new one.
@TheFakulty How do you know that it was a live service game they were working on? let alone it was Sony that cancelled it.
Id love a sackboy big adventure sequel
@Blauwe_Chimay good isn't it. Underrated in my eyes
@Areus using the logic that nearly every project cancelled recently tied to sony are live service games that were in secret development, including shutting down the developers of some, even though their pedigree was in single player experiences, stands to reason that sumo may have been tasked with building a live service mascot game that is now cancelled.
Have sony cancelled any single player games on recent years?
@Blauwe_Chimay I'm also playing it now via streaming on the Portal. Very good game although has some frustrating parts, definitely the hardest "Sackboy" game so far.
Sackboy was AWESOME. I hope theyll do a sequel
If it means Outrun 2026: Coast 2 Coast I’m in.
Would love for a sackboy: big adventure sequel one of the best platformers I've played in years. While I liked LBP much preferred the 3D approach taken in sackboy.
@TheFakulty Not all cancelled games are announced or leaked. Some games may be cancelled when they are in very early stages, maybe the prototype's aren't very promising or the team doesn't really know what to do with what they have.
It happens sure, but most leaks happen with games nearing the end of development or because an announcement is being prepared when more people are made aware of them internally. Or a retail/media partner or ratings board accidentally publishes something they shouldn't have. Most things aren't leaked by the people working directly on it so we won't know about most things that are not in full development or only have a skeleton game in place.
I'm sure Sony have cancelled lots of internal single player projects over the years but we don't hear about all of them because there isn't much to hear. Whereas now they are cancelling multi player projects because they've found it easier to realise when they aren't working out in the post Concord world.
@RadioHedgeFund Still amazing all these years later.
@rusty82 Very underrated! Playing it with my kid, and enjoying it very much. Would be nice if it could get a sequel.
Weren’t they bought by Tencent?
Another shout for Snake Pass. That was a brilliantly unique game
If media molecule won’t make it I’d like sumo to make little big planet 4!
@themightyant wether a game is "good" or not has literally nothing to do with a potential financial success or not. if anything a cancellation most of the time means it wasn't generic and mainstream enough
Were they working on a live service game too? Honestly, why did anyone think this was a good idea?
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