Sony closes Bluepoint Games after less than five years
With first-class remakes, Bluepoint Games made a name for itself. The studio was bought by Sony in 2021 – now it is surprisingly closing.
(Image: Sony)
"Shadow of the Colossus", "Demon s Souls": With tasteful and technically competent remakes, the US-American development studio Bluepoint Games made a name for itself in the industry. After many years of cooperation, Sony finally bought the studio. Not even five years later, the story of Bluepoint Games is surprisingly over. The studio is closing, Sony confirmed to the business magazine Bloomberg.
Around 70 employees are said to lose their jobs, a Sony spokesperson told Bloomberg. The decision was made after a recent company analysis. In January, Bloomberg reported that a live service game in the "God of War" universe, which Bluepoint Games had been working on for years, was scrapped.
No game released for years
Since its acquisition in autumn 2021, the Texan development studio has not released its own game. It was involved in the development of "God of War: Ragnarök", which was, however, primarily managed by Sony Santa Monica. Before being acquired by Sony, Bluepoint Games developed the remakes „Shadow of the Colossus“ and „Demon‘s Souls“ for the Playstation. Both titles were extremely well received by long-time fans and new players alike. The studio was particularly valued for its technical skills.
"Bluepoint Games is an exceptionally talented team, and its technical expertise has delivered outstanding experiences to the PlayStation community," Bloomberg quotes a Sony spokesperson. "We thank Bluepoint for the passion, creativity, and craftsmanship."
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Death sentence for live service game
That Sony has no qualms about shutting down game studios it has recently acquired was already shown in 2024 by the case of Firewalk. The studio, acquired just a year earlier, was closed after the unsuccessful release of the online shooter "Concord". A parallel: Both Firewalk and Bluepoint were working on live service games before they were closed. This refers to online games that are regularly supplied with new content and can generate long-term revenue – if they reach a large enough player base.
Such games compete with industry giants like "Fortnite", "Counter-Strike", and "League of Legends", which remain among the most played titles even years after their release. The development of live service games is considered extremely risky due to the competitive market, but can, at least in theory, also achieve great success. Sony had already announced its strategy to invest more money in live service games several years ago.
(dahe)
