As you'd expect, Sony and PlayStation have had to come out and say something about the shock decision to shut down Bluepoint Games.
A statement from PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst is doing the rounds online, in which the Dutch CEO attempts to rationalise the closure.
He writes:
"Hello everyone,
I wanted to share an important update from the Studio Business.
As I mentioned in the December Town Hall, 2025 had some strong highlights within PlayStation Studios. Ghost of Yōtei launched to critical and commercial success, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach further showcased our commitment to narrative excellence, and Helldivers 2 and MLB The Show continue to drive on-going player engagement and revenue.
At the same time, we're operating in an increasingly challenging industry environment. Rising development costs, slowed industry growth, changing player behavior, and broader economic headwinds are making it harder to build games sustainably.
To navigate this reality, we need to continue adapting and evolving. We've taken a close look at our business to ensure we're delivering today while still well-positioned for the future. As a result, we will be closing Bluepoint Games in March.
This decision was not made lightly. Bluepoint is an incredibly talented team and their technical expertise has delivered exceptional experiences for the PlayStation community. I want to thank everyone at Bluepoint for their creativity, craftsmanship, and commitment to quality. Where possible, we will work to find opportunities for some impacted employees within our global network of studios.
While I know this is hard news to hear, I'm confident in the direction we're headed. Creativity, innovation, and building unforgettable experiences for players remain at the heart of PlayStation Studios. We have a robust roadmap for FY26, with much to look forward to in the months ahead.
Thank you for your hard work and continued support."
Based on everything we've seen online since the announcement — including our own absolutely swamped comments section — Sony's being torn to shreds. The general reaction has been one of shock, followed by anger directed squarely at the platformer holder.
Of course, a huge factor in this outrage is that we all know Bluepoint was working on a live service God of War title, which was cancelled roughly one year ago.
The project was never officially revealed, but its existence came as a complete shock, given Bluepoint's speciality in crafting fantastic remakes of classic games.
In his leadership role, Hulst played a major role in pushing multiple PlayStation Studios towards the development of live service titles. As such, many now blame Hulst for the stunted state of the PS5's first party library.
If there's any kind of positive to take from this, it at least sounds like Sony is trying to relocate Bluepoint employees to other PlayStation teams.