Sony to close Concrete Genie dev PixelOpus in June

Developer PixelOpus announced it'll be closing its doors. On June 2, the Sony-owned studio behind 2019's Concrete Genie will be no more. 

"Our PixelOpus adventure has come to an end," wrote the developer on Friday, May 5. "As we look to new futures, we wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to the millions of passionate players who have supported us, and our mission to make beautiful, imaginative games with heart."

Speaking to IGN, Sony explained the studio's closure was preceded by a "recent review process" for each developer under the PlayStation Studios banner. The studio apparently failed to "meet the organization’s short and long-term strategic objectives."

PixelOpus was founded in 2014 by a joint group of students from Sony Interactive Entertainment's game development program at Carnegie Mellon University and San Jose State. The team's first game was 2014's Entwined, followed by the aforementioned Concrete Genie. 

In 2021, the studio was said to be working with Sony Pictures Animation on an unannounced PlayStation 5 game. That project has since been cancelled, and it's unclear if it's been moved to another developer.

Similarly, it's presently unknown if the PixelOpus team will be laid off entirely or transferred to another studio. The developer is based in San Mateo, California, and the state itself is a hotbed for game developers both in and out of Sony. 

Employees such as environment artist Bob Archibald and designer Mark Vernon fondly looked back on their time at the studio. Vernon called it "some of the most creatively fulfilling work of my career. [...] I’m grieving right now at the loss of a great team, and a great project. I hope we all land on our feet, preferably together."

"I like to think that with Concrete Genie - we made the world an ever-so-slightly better place," added Archibald. "I will always be grateful for my time building imaginative worlds with this incredible team.