Lightning has struck on the same spot a second time for Jason Blundell, following the shutdown of Dark Outlaw Games by PlayStation. The studio, which was founded in 2024 (according to the company’s LinkedIn page), was working on an unannounced project before its shuttering, as GameBaba Universe has now learned.
CEO of Dark Outlaw Games, Jason Blundell
Dark Outlaw Games was a new internal team within PlayStation Studios headed by industry veteran Jason Blundell. The veteran previously worked with Treyarch, the studio best-known for working on the Call of Duty franchise.
The news of the shuttering was first shared by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. However, a former employee of the studio shared a message on LinkedIn confirming the closure.
“This past year I had the best time learning to be a game developer to tell new stories and make fun games,” began the message shared by game designer Reed Austin.
“At Dark Outlaw Games, I met the most talented people who inspired me everyday to make something to be proud of. I consider myself extremely lucky and blessed to have had the best job of my life for the past year. I really wish I could have shown you all the game we were pouring our hearts into. I feel like so many would have loved it.”
Dark Outlaw Games is the second studio by Jason Blundell to shut down
When Dark Outlaw Games was formed, Blundell said they had been “working away in the shadows” and would reveal their project when they had something to talk about. Unfortunately, he never got the opportunity to do so.
However, Blundell has been there before. He previously co-founded Deviation Games in 2020 with Dave Anthony. The studio was established in partnership with PlayStation to create an original triple-A IP. Blundell left the company in 2022 before it was eventually shuttered in 2024.
March 2026 has seen some of the biggest layoffs and studio closure announcements this year. On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Epic Games announced that it was terminating 1,000 roles, citing a decline in Fortnite engagement.
The reason behind the shuttering of Dark Outlaw Games remains unknown, but Schreier’s report shows that PlayStation is also trimming its mobile development teams.
