Summary
For well over two decades now,Santa Monica Studiohas been one of PlayStation’s most important first-party developers. After making its debut with the bizarre but electrifying racing gameKinetica,Santa Monica Studiobegan work on a franchise that would soon become its entire existence. Beginning all the way back in 2005, Santa Monica has spent the last 19 years makingGod of Wargames and nothing else. But that might be about to change.
Very recently, a ResetEra user named Angie spotted that a new Santa Monica rehire had updated their LinkedIn profile, and had stated that they’re working on the “character development pipeline” ofSanta Monica’s new IP. No further details were given about this new IP, and fans should always take job listings and any other leaks with a pinch of salt, but it would make a lot of sense for Santa Monica Studio to be working on a new PlayStation first-party IP.
Santa Monica Should Be Allowed to Work on a New IP After God of War
Santa Monica Studios Has Already Proven Itself Time and Time Again
It’s been almost 20 years sincethe firstGod of Warwas released, and over the last two decades, Santa Monica Studio has continued to prove itself time and time again. The firstGod of Warwas met with critical acclaim across the board, as was its 2007 sequel. And that was only a taste of Santa Monica’s success. Four more acclaimedGod of Wartitles later, Santa Monica Studio’s talent is clearer than ever, and its ability to produce hit after hit has undoubtedly made it one of PlayStation’s most valuable developers.
Santa Monica has also left some pretty extensive blueprints shouldtheGod of Warfranchiseneed to be handed to another studio. The franchise’s tone, general approach to mythology and narrative, and its key characters have all been repeatedly cemented by Santa Monica over the years, which would give a new studio some strong foundations to build from, and would allow Santa Monica to focus on new projects if it desired a change.
Santa Monica Studio’s Cory Barlog has been working on an unknown project for a few years now, and that could be the new IP that the rumors are referring to, though that’s not been officially confirmed.
Letting Santa Monica Work on a New IP Fits With PlayStation’s Strategy
First-party IPhas been a major focus of PlayStation for decades now, and that focus has only grown stronger in recent years. IPs likeMarvel’s Spider-Man,Ghost of Tsushima,Uncharted,The Last of Us,Horizon, and, of course,God of Warhave all been instrumental in shifting PlayStation units in the last two console generations, and they’ve become major selling points of the entire PlayStation brand.
While all of these pre-establishedPlayStation first-party IPsare still playing a vital role in the brand’s longevity, PlayStation is also trying to diversify its portfolio even further. Recent games likeHelldivers 2andStellar Blade, and upcoming games likeConcordare all good examples of this new step in PlayStation’s ongoing strategy. With that in mind, it would make complete sense for Santa Monica Studio to be working on a brand new IP for PlayStation, whether it’s in tandem with a newGod of Waror instead of it.
