PlayStation Partner Deviation Games to start full development of PS5 game in 2022

By Kes Eylers-Stephenson,

Deviation Games was announced to be one of three new PlayStation Partner studios earlier this year. Without a game to show, studio lead Jason Blundell has spoken about what has been going on with its PS5 game and the state of the industry.

We picked up wind of the interview thanks to PSStudiosNews. In it, Jason Blundell, the guy at the head of the new studio, updated us on what has been happening with PlayStation Partner Deviation Games, which was announced this year alongside Jade Raymond's Haven and Firewalk Studios. Deviation now has over 100 employees and has just wrapped the pre-production period on its first game, something that Blundell claims is actually a rarity. The new PS5 title will be entering full production next year, so our guess is that we will start seeing stuff in 2023 if the development pipeline is short.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this speech is what Blundell has to say about the games industry at large. "Everything is getting a bit stale at the moment, a bit dry. When we set Deviation up it was for a very specific goal — to deviate away from the normal, the boring, the humdrum; from the things we have seen a thousand times." Instead, Blundell and Deviation appear to be looking at making something fresh. "We wanted to make sure that when you see a screenshot of our game, you know what game you are talking about or are looking at. How are you telling a story differently? How are you making core gameplay that will engage the community in a new way?"

Blundell seems aware that having a reveal of a studio without any game is a tricky sell, but seems grateful for the support Deviation has received. What do you think of what Blundell has said here? Waiting for proof? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by Kes Eylers-Stephenson

Editor Kes is our resident expert in PlayStation and other gaming news. He writes about PS5 exclusives like The Last of Us and Horizon, PS Plus news, and his favorite games — The Witcher, Assassin’s Creed, and God of War — before an evening swim.