PlayStation Studios Spotlight: Team Asobi

Team Asobi was formerly working out of the now-defunct Japan Studios as a tiny part of a greater whole. During its spell there, it made a name for itself making the VR platformer Astro Bot Rescue Mission in 2018 and the PS5 pack-in nostalgia-fest that was Astro’s Playroom in 2020. Both were very well received. The first is lauded as a VR must-play title, with charm and top-notch platforming in abundance. The second is the first game you should be playing on a new PS5 console. It harkens back to the past of PlayStation, while remaining a fantastic little adventure. In 2021, Team Asobi was confirmed to be a full first-party studio.

This game is an absolute gem and a must-play on PS5. It harkens back to the days of old platformers and yet feels like the perfect introduction to your new console. It has an 83 on Metacritic, so it wasn’t just us who loved it!

Team Asobi's current project: Astro sequel [rumoured]

What else? The team has a fantastic new mascot that can offer deep dives into the PlayStation heritage. It is unlikely that the little fella is going to be left by the wayside.

The studio was announced on PlayStation Blog, essentially clarifying that Team Asobi will be making games that continue to show off the hardware. With the logo expressly showing Astrobot, expect the little dude to be around for a while. Job listings and a website launch both seem to confirm as much. The studio also received investment from Sony, allowing the group to expand significantly.

Having been born from the remains of Studio Japan, the story of Team Asobi’s birth will always be tinted with sadness. However, the studio has proved itself to be capable of making excellent games with Astro’s Playroom and Astro Bot Rescue Mission. This places them as a solid, steady team that we can always bank on delivering for new hardware. However, that also leaves the group without a BIG project to really show its full talent. A hard one to rank, but a better-than-average grade makes sense.