Sony Interactive Entertainment Manchester Studio 1
Image: Shack News

Sony has shut down Manchester Studio before it even had the opportunity to announce a game. The virtual reality-based developer was formed in 2015 and was working on an unannounced project, but the Japanese giant has decided to call time on the team “as part of our efforts to improve efficiency and operational effectiveness”. According to Games Industry.biz, the entire group has been made redundant.

Of course, British developers under the PlayStation umbrella haven’t had much luck in recent years, with Studio Liverpool, Guerrilla Cambridge, Bigbig Studios, and Evolution Studios all closing over the past decade. Blood & Truth creator London Studio and Dreams maker Media Molecule remain, but it’s been a rough period for the UK industry. We can’t help but wonder what today’s news means for PlayStation VR moving forward either.

As always, our thoughts go out to all employees affected by this news.

[source gamesindustry.biz]