Sony to close Concrete Genie dev PixelOpus in June
The design firm PixelOpus just announced that it will be shutting down. Concrete Genie’s 2019 studio, owned by Sony, will close on June 2.
On Friday, May 5, the designer said, “Our PixelOpus experience has actually come to an end.” “As we look ahead to new horizons, we wanted to express our deepest gratitude to the countless passionate players who have supported us and our mission to create beautiful, creative video games with heart.”
Sony explained to IGN that a “current evaluation procedure” was conducted on each PlayStation Studios designer before the studio’s shutdown. As a result of “achieving the company’s short and long-lasting tactical goals,” the studio plainly ceased production.
In 2014, a group of students from Carnegie Mellon University and San Jose State who had participated in Sony Interactive Entertainment’s video game development training programme founded a company called PixelOpus. The studio’s debut video game was 2014’s Laced, and since then they have released the aforementioned Concrete Genie.
It was reported in 2021 that the studio was collaborating with Sony Pictures Animation on a PlayStation 5 game that had not yet been revealed. It’s unclear if the client has moved the project to another designer or if the deal was cancelled.
It’s unclear at this time if the PixelOpus team will be completely laid off or transferred to another firm. The creator calls San Mateo, California home. The Golden State is home to a large number of Sony and third-party video game designers.
Former employees had positive memories of their time there, including environment artist Bob Archibald and designer Mark Vernon. Among the most creatively fulfilling in his career, according to Vernon. […] I’m mourning the loss of a great team and a rewarding position today. I really want us to all get back on our feet at the same time.
The inclusion of Archibald’s “I like to believe that with Concrete Genie – we made the world ever-so-slightly better location” highlights the importance of this idea. I will always cherish the time I got to spend with such a fantastic crew as we built imaginative worlds.
To My Friends, Our time with PixelOpus has come to a close. As we go on into new adventures, we want to express our gratitude to the millions of dedicated players who have always believed in us and our mission to create games that are both visually stunning and emotionally moving.

