PlayStation forms new first-party studio Dark Outlaw Games

Sony has formed a new first-party PlayStation studio called Dark Outlaw Games, led by industry veteran Jason Blundell.

Blundell, who is studio head and director, confirmed the news during an interview with journalist Jeff Gerstmann. He revealed that Dark Outlaw “has been working away in the shadows” on an unknown project.

“It’s such a privilege to be able to do it with Sony as a new first-party studio,” said Blundell. “Sony doesn’t set up first-party studios all the time. To have that privilege is humbling, it’s really nice. I’m really excited.”

Blundell said the studio is currently “staffing up [and] keeping it kind of low key” as the team develops its game.

“We’re getting the team to jell, getting the ideas clicking – I’m a programmer at heart, so let’s test those assumptions: Is it working? You’re trying to escape velocity.”

Blundell has been working in the games industry for almost two decades, having been the co-studio head of Treyarch and one of the lead creators on Call of Duty Zombies.

He worked at Activision for 13 years, before leaving in 2020 to form Deviation Games with Dave Anthony.

In 2021, the studio signed a deal with PlayStation to create an original AAA IP. However, Blundell left Deviation Games in 2022 and the developer reportedly laid off up to 90 employees a year later. By March 2024, Deviation Games was shut down.

Dark Outlaw’s formation was previously rumoured in May 2024 after former Deviation Games technical director Michael Anthony suggested that the studio was “working on an undisclosed IP.”