As both a lifelong gamer and co-owner of a small gaming company, I‘m always eager to hear news of developers working on fresh, ambitious titles. So when Sumo Digital recently posted job listings for an unannounced "innovative multiplayer action" game using Unreal Engine 5, it immediately piqued my interest. Sumo Digital is the seasoned team behind acclaimed hits like LittleBigPlanet 3 and Sackboy: A Big Adventure – if anyone can leverage UE5 for an immersive multiplayer experience, it‘s them.
What The Listings Reveal About This Mysterious Project
While specifics remain mostly under wraps, the job listings provide valuable clues regarding the project‘s direction. Sumo Digital is seeking to fill roles like Technical Animator, Unreal Engine Lead Programmer, and Senior/Principal Level Designer at their Nottingham studio:
Several hints indicate an online multiplayer focus:
- Lead Programmer requirements want experience with "games as a service" models
- Level Designer will craft engaging multiplayer environments
- Platforms remain unannounced but listings mention PC/console development experience
Bonus skills also suggest key aspects like third-person perspective, procedural level generation, and systemic/emergent gameplay – all signature Sumo Digital elements.
Reading between the lines paints a picture of an ambitious co-op driven game leveraging new UE5 technology and Sumo Digital‘s creative design expertise. As both a developer and gamer, a project of this scope excites me!
What Could This Unannounced Title Be?
Obviously without an official announcement, speculating is simply that – but Sumo Digital‘s history provides clues towards possibilities:
A Cooperative Action-Adventure
Sumo Digital has rich experience developing exploratory action-adventure platformers between LittleBigPlanet and Sackboy. This expertise seems well-suited for translating into a shared world multiplayer environment.
My company has worked on similar games blending action-centric co-op with strong narrative throughlines. Challenging levels that encourage teamwork, complemented by dynamically generated objectives and events can enable limitless emergent moments between friends.
I envision collaborative puzzle solving seamlessly mixed with frenetic combat encounters against swarms of enemies. Interactive environments allow endless gameplay permutations – exactly what next-gen hardware like UE5 empowers.
An Evolving Online Service Game
The Lead Programmer job listing specifically highlights games as a service (GaaS) experience as a major bonus. This reveals Sumo Digital‘s upcoming project likely constitutes an ongoing, regularly updatedmultiplayer experience rather than a purely single player focused adventure.
Studying Steam charts and player trends helps keep my own small company aiming at hot genres. Over 82% of the industry‘s revenue already flows from repetitive, "live game" formats like shooters, MOBAs, and battle royales that dominate streaming and esports culture. An original, AAA-quality co-op action GaaS from veteran creators could make significant waves.
Expect something like a story-driven loot shooter or an innovative survival/crafting multiplayer sandbox – regularly expanded through updates, battle passes, and live events.
A Truly Innovative Experience
Looking at Sumo Digital‘s portfolio, Sackboy and Little Big Planet both carved their own gaming niches, earning strong reputations for sheer invention and charm. This untitled multiplayer project aims higher, hoping to set new genre gold standards.
Analyzing firsthand feedback from early UE5 experiences convinces me its toolset facilitates wholly fresh directions in player interactivity and emergence. Nothing is off the table given Sumo Digital‘s sparkling pedigree combined with Unreal Engine 5‘s sheer potential.
The time feels ripe for the old guard to take some big swings after watching young indie teams consistently shatter expectations (and conventions) across recent years. Sumo Digital boasts the skills and scale to sculpt magnificently bespoke multiplayer sandboxes housing infinite adventures. Assuming they execute flawlessly, gamers worldwide stand ready to dive in for thousands of hours.
My tiny company dreams of reaching such heights someday. For now, witnessing industry leaders push boundaries drives inspiration for our own small projects.
What Would You Like to See?
Obviously any real details around Sumo Digital‘s new multiplayer game remain sparse for now. But analysing backgrounds, parsing job listings, and comparing precedents allow envisioning an immensely promising title brimming with possibilities.
As both a developer building within a competitive landscape and a lifelong gamer starving for immersive new worlds, I stand excited to learn more. Maybe you have your own theories or ideas regarding what could emerge from Sumo‘s secretive project? If so, please share in the comments below!
