Sony's 'secret' San Diego studio is apparently working on existing PlayStation franchises, adding fuel to the rumors that a new Uncharted game could be in the works.
The rumors have been further ignited as Michael Mumbauer, former studio head and senior director of Visual Arts at PlayStation World Wide Studios, has updated his LinkedIn profile to say that he has built a "brand new, all-star, AAA Action/Adventure development team for Playstation" based in San Diego.
This new studio will be "utilizing proprietary engine technology" and has been assembled to "expand upon existing franchises and craft all-new stories for the next generation of gamers" (via Wfftech).
Considering Mambauer's previous work on the Uncharted series, and the description of the studio as working on "action/adventure" titles, there is speculation that this means the team may be working on a new Uncharted game. Though, of course, this still remains a rumor.
- New PS5 games: upcoming PS5 game release dates
- Where to buy PS5: all the retailers checked
- PS5 vs Xbox Series X: which should you choose?
Given that Nathan Drake's story was nicely tied up at the end of Uncharted 4, it would be more likely that we would see this PlayStation San Diego studio working on standalone titles within the franchise in the same vein as Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which sees Chloe and Nadine taking the starring roles.
Not-so-secret
The existence of this not-so-secret studio doesn't come as a huge surprise, as there has been speculation that a new PlayStation San Diego studio was being set up within PlayStation Visual Arts, which previously has worked on capture and cinematics for Sony's first-party titles from the likes of Naughty Dog and Guerrilla Games, and has also worked with Kojima Productions.
The rumors first started back in 2018, when Visual Arts began advertising job listings for AAA third-person action game with a focus on delivering "the next chapter of cinematic storytelling". Visual Arts also hired some prominent designers, artists and animators in the last few years including Quentin Cobb, Uncharted's level/combat designer, Red Dead Redemption 2's lead gameplay animator, James Martinchek, and Naughty Dog environmental artist Zak Oliver.
While Sony hasn't officially confirmed the studio exists, we expect an announcement will likely come in the next year. What the studio is actually working on, however, remains unclear.
- Best PS5 games: the most essential PlayStation 5 titles
