In 2021, Deviation Games, a new studio formed by Call of Duty veterans, unveiled itself to the world, confirming that it had partnered with PlayStation to work on a new AAA IP for the PS5, which went on to enter full production in 2022. While details on the project or its production have been scant since then, some interesting information has recently emerged nonetheless.
As spotted by @bogorad222 on Twitter, the LinkedIn profile of Shaun Edwardes – who was Chief Operation Officer at Deviation Games from 2019 to 2021 – claims that the studio’s PS5 title had a budget of over $50 million. Of course, while that does seem fairly modest in comparison to the exorbitant money that gets spent on AAA development these days, it’s still a sizeable figure.
Interestingly, bogorad222 also claims that the project has been cancelled altogether, saying in a follow-up tweet that an unnamed Deviation employee accidentally let slip to him that Sony had cancelled the project “probably” due to “cost cutting”. While that’s best taken with a grain of salt until official details emerge, it’s worth noting that Deviation Games was recently with layoffs.
Deviation Games was one of several independent AAA studios that have partnered with Sony in recent years to work on PS5-exclusive live service titles, alongside the likes of Haven Studios and Firewalk. Unlike Deviation, however, the latter two have both been acquired by Sony.
In January last year, Deviation Games confirmed that it had opened a second studio in Canada. Later in the year, it was announced that co-founder Jason Blundell, who was also directing the developer’s debut project, had left the company.
Budget in excess of $50 million for the Deviation Games game? pic.twitter.com/BgSsJSeyJ1
— Timur222 (@bogorad222) May 13, 2023
He confirmed it by accident
Question: Do you know why Sony canceled your project?
Answer:I’m really not sure, other than probably cost cutting.— Timur222 (@bogorad222) May 13, 2023
