Media Molecule, the Sony-first-party studio celebrated for the LittleBigPlanet franchise, is reportedly working on a new project that features “open-world elements.”
The developer gained significant acclaim with the release of the first LittleBigPlanet title on PlayStation 3 in 2008. In 2019, they launched Dreams, a game creation engine that shared a similar philosophy of user-generated content but did not achieve the same widespread adoption. Support for Dreams ended three years after its release. While Media Molecule has been relatively quiet, a new report from MP1st indicates their next venture might be a substantial departure from their previous work.
Specific details about Media Molecule’s upcoming game are scarce. However, a resume for a Senior Environment Designer on an “Unannounced Project” has surfaced. While the project remains under wraps, the listing indicates a start date of “April 2025 – Present” and includes a responsibility described as being the “feature holder, main contact/vision holder of various open world content.”
Further insights into the game’s potential mechanics can be gleaned from the resume’s requirements, which suggest the inclusion of resource-gathering systems, and possibly even crafting or survival elements. This would represent a significant shift from Media Molecule’s signature style of small, sandbox-like games like LittleBigPlanet and Dreams. It’s important to note that this information is based on a resume listing, and Media Molecule has not yet made an official announcement regarding their next development.
Media Molecule’s Next Game Could Be a Significant Departure
The studio behind beloved titles like LittleBigPlanet and the creative platform Dreams is rumored to be working on a new project that incorporates open-world elements. This potential new IP from Media Molecule could represent a major change in direction for the developer.
New Open-World Project on the Horizon for Media Molecule?
Reports suggest that Media Molecule, known for their innovative approach to game creation with LittleBigPlanet and Dreams, is developing a new title that features “open-world elements.” This signifies a potential departure from their established gameplay formulas.
Rumored Open-World Game from LittleBigPlanet Creators
Media Molecule, the developer renowned for the LittleBigPlanet series and the game creation tool Dreams, is reportedly embarking on a new project that includes open-world gameplay. This move could mark a significant evolution for the studio.
English Translation:
Sony’s first-party studio, responsible for bringing fans LittleBigPlanet, Media Molecule, reportedly has a new title in the works, and it’s a title with “open-world elements.”
Media Molecule is a developer responsible for bringing the LittleBigPlanet series to life, and they exploded onto the scene in 2008 with the first title for PlayStation 3, to huge excitement. In 2019, the company developed a game creation engine called Dreams, and while it embraced a similar ethos to LittleBigPlanet (creating small game instances using in-game tools), it wasn’t as widely adopted. The developers at Media Molecule ended support three years after launch. Today, Media Molecule appears to be lying low on the surface, but according to a new report from MP1st, they may be working on something widely different than what they’ve released in the past.
While details remain as scarce as ever regarding whatever Media Molecule is cooking up, the report shows a resume listing for a Senior Environment Designer, and it’s for an “Unannounced Project”. As with most job listings and resumes for video game development, this one contains a bunch of vague descriptions of what the new designer is set out to accomplish (given that the project is “unannounced”). While it is apparent that the resume listing does record “April 2025 – Present” (which gives fans a clue on a potential development start date in April 2025), the listing goes into sparse details and lists a responsibility as “feature holder, main contact/vision holder of various open world content.”
The resume requirements also detail other specific design responsibilities that could shed light on the game’s mechanics. Some of these details suggest that resource-gathering systems could be present in the game to some extent, perhaps even including crafting or survival elements. Media Molecule’s claim to fame is small sandbox-like titles like LittleBigPlanet and Dreams, so a potential deviation from the company’s formula could produce an interesting concept. Fans should take the listing and the information it gives with a grain of salt. As of this post, Media Molecule has not made an official announcement on their next development.