Dark Outlaw Games founder and Call of Duty veteran Jason Blundell has shared his thoughts on the studio’s closure.
In the wake of the closure of PlayStation first-party studio Dark Outlaw Games by Sony Interactive Entertainment, JCbackfire, a former level designer at the now-shuttered team, joined founder and Call of Duty veteran Jason Blundell, to discuss this turn of events. The conversation offered some insight into the realities of studio closures, game development, and the project that ultimately never saw the light of day.
“Are we disappointed? Yeah, you’re depressed and you’re sad and you mourn what could have been,” Blundell said. Both individuals made it clear that the loss was deeply felt across the team. “We were making a hell of a game,” JCbackfire stated, adding that players “would have really liked what we were doing.” They further talked about feedback from those who had seen the project internally being overwhelmingly positive. However, the discussion clarified that the closure wasn’t a consequence of the game’s quality. “It really doesn’t feel like it was the quality. It feels like it was very [much the] industry,” JCbackfire said.
It was revealed during the stream that the canceled title was not a live-service game. In an era where many AAA projects are built around long-term monetization models, JCbackfire expressed enthusiasm for the team’s direction. He described being “really stoked about just making something focused,” suggesting a more narrative-focused co-op game akin to Blundell’s canceled title at Deviation Games.
Blundell also addressed the narratives that often form online after high-profile closures, saying that they rarely capture the full picture. “The narrative just starts being built. People then have ideas and things and so forth. And so, I think we have to respect confidentiality. So, we can’t go into every gory detail, right? Because we have to respect that,” he explained. Regardless, he had nothing but appreciation for Sony Interactive Entertainment. “A huge gratitude and thanks to to Sony. I know everyone looks for the drama. What amazing people, right? They absolutely backed us up and supported us all the way through that process,” he stated.
