Ex-PlayStation London Devs Form New Studio Twisted Works

Former developers from PlayStation London Studio, Disney Interactive, and Square Enix have established a new independent studio, ‘Twisted Works,’ and officially revealed their debut project, Cast Outs. The London-based studio was founded in June 2024 and is led by CEO and creative director, James Brace, alongside director of operations, Ciarán Daly, and director of characters, Etienne Jabbour. 

The team’s prior credits include major titles such as Horizon Forbidden West, Resident Evil 7, Batman: Arkham Knight, Killzone, the Total War series, and Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

The studio confirmed on Dec. 4 that Cast Outs is in development for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, with a release date yet to be announced.

The announcement follows the closure of PlayStation London Studio in 2024 as part of mass layoffs at Sony Interactive Entertainment that affected around 900 employees. The restructuring also impacted Firesprite, Guerrilla Games, and several U.S.-based PlayStation teams. 

Former SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment) president and CEO Jim Ryan said the decisions were driven by the “evolving economic landscape” and changes in game development and distribution.

Cast Outs Online Co-Op Fantasy Game Set in London

Cast Outs is a modern fantasy online co-op game set in a stylized version of London, supporting up to four-player cooperative gameplay. The title blends spellcasting, shooter-style combat pacing, and brawler-inspired physical impact. 

According to the studio, the game is built for scalable, long-term growth centered on cooperative play.

As previously noted by Eurogamer, Cast Outs closely resembles a cancelled PlayStation London Studio project that was once in development for PS5, sharing a similar urban fantasy setting, visual direction, and co-op structure.

Brace said the studio is building in a “very-risk-averse market” but aims to balance creativity with sustainability. He added that the goal is to create a property players enjoy “sharing, and socializing in,” with growth driven by a stable community rather than short-term scale.

Twisted Works brings together veteran developers from studios including Guerrilla Cambridge, Creative Assembly, Blu, and Slide London, positioning Cast Outs as the foundation of the team’s first original IP (Intellectual Property) in the online co-op space.