PlayStation Welcomes TeamLFG: A New First-Party Studio with Multiplayer Expertise
Herman Hulst, president of PlayStation studio business group, just gave some exciting news. A completely new first-party group is heading over to the PlayStation Studios roster: TeamLFG. And to answer any possible question you had, "LFG" ingeniously spells out "Looking For Group" – a nod to the essence of multiplayer itself.
What's really driving everyone in the game universe crazy is the crème de crème of experience with TeamLFG. We're talking about developers who have built some of the biggest multiplayer franchises around the globe – think Destiny, Halo, Fortnite, Roblox, Rec Room, and even League of Legends. That's a key team of experience under one roof.
What's Cooking at TeamLFG
While the official leadership and founding members are a bit of a mystery so far, no website information or LinkedIn entries as yet, we do know a couple of tantalizing bits. They're based in Bellevue, and reportedly, they have their first project which is absolutely riveting.
According to their PlayStation Blog announcement, TeamLFG is creating "a team-based action game." But this isn't a standard shooter. They're drawing inspiration from a barmy list of genres: fighting games, platformers, MOBAs, life sims, and even – hold the squeamishness – "frog-type games". A lighthearted, comedic world in a completely new "mythic, science-fantasy universe." They're promising to show more soon, and we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Herman Hulst himself referred to this as an "ambitious incubation project." It's fairly evident that PlayStation is keen on hoping that this would be their next giant live service sensation, one along the lines of Fortnite, which, yes, every publisher aspires towards.
Building with the Community in Mind
One of the best things about TeamLFG's approach is that they're community-driven. They've stated on the record that their initial game will be "developed with our communities." That means opening up players to participate in the development process through early access playtesting. They think player feedback is "totally critical" to shaping the game, and that's a wonderful sign for players who love to get their input heard.
A Tempered, Hopeful Start
It'll likely be some time before we're actually seeing this game on the field. But when compared to some of PlayStation's earlier attempts at achieving live service success, this seems different – in a positive sense. TeamLFG is not a multi-million dollar purchase, nor is it a company recognized for single-player epics being tasked with doing a multiplayer game all of a sudden.
This is a group of developers that specialize in building large multiplayer experiences. They're coming together to build something new from the ground up, grown within PlayStation. For now, it looks like TeamLFG is definitely off to a great start. We'll be watching closely to see if they can deliver on this exciting promise.
