There have been quite a few reports indicating that Media Molecule – a studio known for games like LittleBigPlanet and Dreams – has been working on a brand-new game. The latest report, courtesy of Mp1st, indicates that the game will finally be unveiled in 2027, and that it will feature elements that revolve around “social-simulation”.
Citing unnamed sources, the publication believes that the title will be released by the end of 2027, and that it also won’t be a live-service release. However, the presence of such live-service elements also reportedly wouldn’t be too surprising.
This report comes just months after another one indicated that it would feature some “open-world content”. This detail about the unnamed game came about from the portfolio of a senior environment designer who claimed to be working on an “unannounced project” and “new IP”.
It is worth noting that Media Molecule is known for its work on games that also happen to be creative tools and focus on user-generated content. The studio’s next project, according to its co-founder, will be more than just a creative tool. Speaking on a podcast on the heels of his departure from Media Molecule, Mark Healey spoke about the project without giving away too many details.
“I don’t think it’s secret news they’re working on a new IP, for example,” said Healey in an interview. “I would go as far as to say that it’s more of a game than a creative tool from what I understand about it. I think that Sony has still got a lot of faith in Media Molecule, so I’m sure at the very least they’re going to get to make this game, and hopefully, get back into the money-making books again.”
He also spoke about Dreams and the potential success that the title could have seen if it were also released on platforms other than PS4. Along with being impressed that the team was able to make it run on a console, Healey also spoke about how the team was lucky enough to work on “such a crazy project”.
“We were so lucky to be allowed to be indulged in such a crazy project,” said Healey about Dreams. “It’s amazing that we made it happen at all, really. For that thing to exist on a console, I can’t have any frustration or bitterness about it if I’m honest.”
Dreams was released all the way back in 2020, and along with offering a plethora of minigames, the title also served as a simplified game engine, allowing players to come up with their own works of art that could range from paintings to 3D models, music, movies, and even entire games of their own.
Along with featuring a fun creation suite, the title also allowed players to share their creations with each other through “DreamSurfing” – a way for players to browse through others’ creations and experience them. The title also heavily encouraged collaboration between its artists, automatically crediting a player for a work of theirs that might have been included in another’s creations.
Unfortunately, Dreams reached its end-of-life in September 2023.
