New PS5 exclusive AAA multiplayer game in the works from former Destiny devs

(Image credit: Bungie)

Sony has announced it is working with Firewalk Studios on a new AAA multiplayer IP, which will be a PS5 console exclusive.

The exclusive partnership was announced on the PlayStation Blog, revealing that Firewalk is working on an "original multiplayer game" for PS5.

"We’re already hard at work on development and have been having a ton of fun playing our game as a team," Firewalk Studios Studio Head, Tony Hsu, wrote. "In fact, while we continued to grow our team during this challenging last year, it was our daily online playtests that provided the most consistent point of joy and connection for our crew. The fun and laughter of playing together brought us closer, even if we were physically apart. Our goal is to be able to deliver that same joy to gamers and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on when the time is right."

A new Destiny?

Firewalk Studios is a new development studio set up by former Bungie veterans including Studio Head Tony Hsu (former General Manager and Senior Vice Present of Destiny at Activision) Creative Director Ryan Ellis (former Creative Director on Destiny), and Executive Producer Elena Siegman (former producer on multiple Destiny releases).

Firewalk Studios is part of the ProbablyMonsters family of game studios, which includes Cauldron Studios and a currently unnamed "next-gen co-op RPG studio".

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Head of PlayStation Studios Herman Hulst addressed the fact that Sony's support for a multiplayer game, given its focus last generation on single-play titles, could seem like a departure for the company.

"I think that the games that we make are as distinct and diverse as they can be," Hulst told the publication. "From Sackboy to Astro Bot to Dreams to these kind of games that you're referring to, like The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghosts of Tsushima. And you can bet that we will carry on making these games, because they are the heart and soul of what we do here at PlayStation studios. But at the same time, we are just as committed to making these quality experiences as we are to experimentation and to coming up with fresh ideas."

Hulst went on to say that the partnership between Firewalk and Sony "is going to lead to some very interesting and very nice surprises" for PlayStation fans.

While we don't know any firm details about this new multiplayer title, we're hoping that Sony will share more news on what Firewalk is working on in the coming months.

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An award-winning games journalist, with seven years of experience in games journalism and a degree in journalism from City University, London, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, The Telegraph, VG247, Dot Esports and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel, as she’s previously appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster and more. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.