Returnal Developer's Next Project is New IP

gamerant.com:

Returnal from developer Housemarque was one of the biggest surprises of 2021. Best known for its twin-stick shooters and side-scrolling shooters, Housemarque raised its ambition with Returnal. In turn, Housemarque was rewarded as its unique bullet-hell third-party shooter ended up becoming a routing Game of the Year contender. Now, Housemarque is looking toward what comes next and, to many's surprise, it's now confirmed to be an entirely new IP.

As part of an interview conducted as part of the DICE Awards, Housemarque was asked about how it plans to hold onto its identity as more and more studios shift to live service games. Housemarque's managing director Ilari Kuittinen offered a quizzical response, saying, «The jury is still out there.» Housemarque was acquired by Sony in June 2021, so its next game will be its first fully made under the Sony umbrella.

Only 10 Percent of Returnal Players Beat The Game According to Trophy Data

Kuittinen continued, explaining some of what he believes to be Housemarque's identity. He mentions Nex Machina and Housemarque being «one of the very last dinosaurs making arcade games.» He mentions working on multiplayer games, but that «we really didn't do it as well.» And it's with these two points in mind that Kuittinen briefly mentions what's coming next. He says that the next project is still in early development, that it's a new IP and Housemarque is still doing concept work on it. Unwilling to provide any more information beyond that, Kuittinen says, «We'll see what comes with that.»

These two points from Kuittinen can be considered clues as to what Housemarque's approach is looking at its next game. In fact, Kuittinen even describes the company's retro inclinations as a clue to how it plans