Sony Santa Monica’s Next Big Thing Not a New IP But May ‘Feel Like One’

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Update #2 [Tue 15th Jul 2025, 12:15am]: I can’t help but feel a pang of guilt for echoing every word from Jason Schreier, the insightful Bloomberg journalist. Today, he’s been subtly hinting at Santa Monica Studio’s upcoming project, and it’s got me intrigued!

Earlier in the day, it was proposed that the upcoming title of the team under the guidance of veteran Cory Barlog isn’t a brand-new intellectual property. Now, he has elaborated on his statement to provide more clarity.

Here’s what he wrote on ResetEra:

As a devoted follower, let me express it this way: Although it’s not a fresh intellectual property, it could seem like one to some, which might be causing the confusion. I kindly ask for your understanding as any additional details I may share down the line will appear in an article rather than here on a forum. Regarding the sci-fi elements that have been circulating (apparently believed for quite some time now), I must clarify they are baseless speculations.

Instead of being a science fiction game as initially thought, it actually presents a novel perspective within the established PlayStation series, which could give off the impression of a completely new intellectual property.

From the looks of it, I’m guessing this could be God of War, but in a fresh mythology, maybe reminiscent of the 2018 reboot. It’s hard to picture another PlayStation franchise that would merit the focus of such a renowned director as Barlog.

Interesting.

Thanks, Jason – now we have even more questions.

In a fresh update on July 14th, 2025 at 5:15pm, journalist Jason Schreier from Bloomberg posed a question: “What makes everyone believe that Cory Barlog’s game is a completely new project?

It seems clear that this isn’t a fresh Intellectual Property, but it’s uncertain if Jason is merely joking or being deliberate, understanding his words could spark widespread discussion, even reaching sites such as ours.

It’s worth mentioning that some members of the team at Santa Monica Studio have mentioned in their resumes that they are involved with a new project, while Barlog himself has openly expressed his desire to experiment with something fresh.

Alternatively, it’s possible that the developer might be focusing on a game based on a licensed franchise, or re-creating an old title from PlayStation’s history. It could also be another installment in the God of War series.

Cory Barlog, a seasoned director from Santa Monica Studio who’s known for creating timeless PlayStation hits such as God of War 2 and the 2018 remake of God of War, is currently hard at work on their upcoming major project.

For quite a while now, it’s been clear that the developer is working on a new project, given that Cory Barlog relinquished his director role for God of War Ragnarok, handing over the responsibilities to Eric Williams.

However, according to an update by Jason Schreier, a journalist at Bloomberg, the development of Santa Monica Studio’s latest project is moving forward smoothly.

He wrote in response to a fan query:

Cory Barlog’s game is the upcoming major project from Sony Santa Monica. The last conversation I had about it (around a month or two back) indicated that things were progressing smoothly.

Since God of War Ragnarok was released in 2022, the studio has likely been concentrating heavily on this project. It’s plausible that an official announcement could be made soon if the development, as hinted by Shreier, is progressing smoothly.

It’s up for debate exactly what this project involves. Previously, Barlog hinted at the possibility of a science fiction game, though it remains uncertain if that’s what he is currently developing.

Among titles such as Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Saros, Marvel’s Wolverine, and an unnamed one, it seems we’re in store for a distinctive and thrilling conclusion to the PS5 era.

Instead of saying, “What would you like to see from Santa Monica Studio next?”, you could say, “What do you hope Santa Monica Studio will create next?” or simply, “What’s next on your wishlist for Santa Monica Studio?”

For the second part, instead of using “Share your thoughts or predictions in the comments section below,” you could say, “Feel free to share your ideas or guesses about what they might produce next in the comment section.” or more casually, “Sound off with your thoughts and speculations on their upcoming projects in the comments below!

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2025-07-15 01:06