First-party PlayStation studio PixelOpus shuts down

PixelOpus may not be one of Sony’s most well-known first-party PlayStation studios, but it was just as important – focusing on smaller scale and more arthouse-styled experiences. In a surprising move, despite the studio’s upward-trending trajectory, PixelOpus has unceremoniously been shut down.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the official PixelOpus account released a statement saying: “Dear friends, our PixelOpus adventure has come to an end. As we look to new futures, we wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to the millions of passionate players who have supported us, and our mission to make beautiful, imaginative games with heart. We are so grateful!”

Following this unexpected announcement, IGN reached out for further confirmation from Sony themselves, with the console manufacturer responding: “PlayStation Studios regularly evaluates its portfolio and the status of studio projects to ensure they meet the organization’s short and long-term strategic objectives. As part of a recent review process, it has been decided that PixelOpus will close on June 2.”

For the uninitiated, PixelOpus was a relatively small team established in 2014 as an in-house studio for Sony Interactive Entertainment. In the time since, the team went on to release Entwined and 2019’s Concrete Genie – two unique and artful experiences.

Between the two titles, Concrete Genie was certainly the more ambitious release, with the team said to be following it up with an unannounced title, Unfortunately, that game will seemingly never come to be. With the cancellation of Dreams’ post-launch support and now the closure of PixelOpus, hopefully Sony is not trying to purge its smaller studios. We will have to wait and see.

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KitGuru says: Are you disappointed by the news? What did you think of Entwined? What about Concrete Genie? Let us know down below.

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