Following the cancellation of nine live-service titles – that we know of – Sony appears to be working on a new one, suggesting that while the company’s new management isn’t as enthusiastic about live services as its former CEO Jim Ryan, they haven’t completely ruled out the concept, at least for now.
Sony
According to the studio’s recent job posting, first spotted by Reddit user Lonelyfades, one of Sony’s US-based offices is hiring a UX/UI Design Lead for an unannounced project, which appears to be in the early stages of development at the time of writing.
The job description lists several requirements, including experience in leading or directly supporting leadership in an ongoing live-service game, as well as notes that the title will feature “lighthearted and whimsical characters.” Additionally, the “nice-to-have skills” section includes experience with competitive gaming, the e-sports landscape, and multiplayer genres, painting a clearer picture of what the upcoming title will be.
Interestingly, the same section also highlights that “familiarity with development using Unreal Engine” is considered a valuable bonus for potential hires – a particularly notable part considering that just a week ago, we reported that PlayStation’s newly opened Los Angeles studio is developing a high-profile AAA cooperative multiplayer game powered by Unreal Engine 5.
While it’s currently unclear whether the live-service game being worked on at the LA studio is the same as the one described in the UI/UX job posting – as the vacancy lists the position as “United States, Remote” and doesn’t specify which office the candidate would be working for – the number of similarities between the two is hard to ignore.
The recent surge of job listings pointing to a new live-service game arrives on the heels of Sony shutting down at least nine live-service titles, including The Last of Us Online, Spider-Man: The Great Web, unnamed projects from Deviation Games and London Studio, Twisted Metal, a Destiny spin-off from Bungie, unannounced projects from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games, and, of course, Concord.
So, will the new title make this long list even longer, or will it be a case of “tenth time’s the charm”? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Don’t forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.
