PlayStation acquired Savage Game Studios last year to help with its mobile plans, but the rebrand to Neon Koi may be more than a simple name change.
Savage Game Studios is no more, and in its place is Neon Koi. The German developer revealed its name change and an entirely new mission statement for the mobile developer, which became a PlayStation subsidiary in mid-2022.
"Neon Koi represents our culture and the passions of our game project," the studio explained on LinkedIn. "After consideration and reflection on our values, mission...we've decided to embrace a new identity that better aligns with our vision for the future."
Interestingly, its mission statement also now reads: "We make action games with epic stories to foster lasting connections with players around the world."
It isn't uncommon for game developers to rebrand themselves and their mission statement, but Neon Koi's comes with some extra baggage. Back in July, CEO Michail Katkoff departed what was then Savage Game to pursue a better work/life balance.
The developer was intended to help bring PlayStation into the mobile game space. But two weeks prior to Katkoff's exit, mobile VP Nicola Sebastiani departed after a two-year run. And according to GamesIndustry, Neon Koi GM Sophie Ko departed back in September.
In the months since those exits, PlayStation has lost Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan and curbed back its previously announced live service plans. Half will still release in the next few years as planned, while the rest have been delayed, and it's unclear if Neon Koi's mobile game was ever in that mix.
At time of writing, Neon Koi's website has no mention of mobile games, save for a job listing for a lead 3D artist and which still has the Savage Game Studios banner.
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