Sony has confirmed that it is closing down the Cambridge branch of Guerrilla Games, shutting the door on one of the PlayStation VR’s biggest developers.
Guerrilla Cambridge, a subsidiary of the developer of Horizon: Zero Dawn and the Killzone series, developed the PS VR launch title RIGS: Mechanized Combat League. As we noted in our PS VR rundown, RIGS was one of the most accomplished games in its launch library, with it being placed at the forefront of the hardware’s marketing. Its closure at the start of the year is therefore troubling news, with it perhaps being indicative of a lack of success among the headset’s software lineup.
A statement from Sony via GamesIndustry.biz reads: “Whilst we accept that this decision will mean that we risk losing high caliber staff, by focusing on other Studios with exciting new projects in development, (including continued work on PlayStation VR), we believe we will be in a stronger position going forward and able to offer the best possible content of the highest quality to our players.
“This decision should not take anything away from the incredible games and services that Guerrilla Cambridge has delivered.”
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League was one of the PlayStation VR’s best launch games.
Sony seems to acknowledge that Guerrilla Cambridge’s closure will lead to suspicions regarding the future of PlayStation VR, so the company is quick to state that it is still working with developers on future PS VR games. However, considering that RIGS was one of the most high-profile games released for the new hardware, it’s understandable that many are concerned about what this means for other studios that have predominantly focused upon developing VR games for Sony.
Guerrilla Cambridge had a lengthy history in the games industry. Previously known as SCEE Cambridge Studio, the developer’s previous work includes the MediEvil series, Primal, Ghosthunter and PS Vita title Killzone Mercenary. Sony has stated that it will be attempting to move some of the studio’s employees into its other divisions, but’s uncertain what the future will now hold for RIGS, with Sony not having confirmed whether or not its servers will remain online past its developer’s closure.
