New PlayStation Game Inspired by Smash Bros Coming Soon

Summary

• Bungie's mysterious game, code-named Gummy Bears, has reportedly shifted developers and is now being developed at a new PlayStation studio.
• While primarily a MOBA, the game is rumored to draw inspiration from Super Smash Bros., featuring a percentage-based damage system rather than traditional health bars.
• Gummy Bears has been in development for at least three years but may still be years away from release. It is targeting a younger demographic than any previous Bungie game.

A first-party PlayStation game, code-named Gummy Bears, is said to take notable inspiration from the Super Smash Bros. series, according to a recent report that also sheds light on other details about this mysterious project.

Rumors of Gummy Bears' existence first surfaced online in August 2023, when The Game Post reported that a MOBA title with this codename was being developed at Bungie. A year later, Bungie announced it was laying off 220 employees—a 17% reduction in its workforce. During that announcement, the Destiny developer revealed that an additional 155 of its staff members would be integrated into Sony Interactive Entertainment in the near future.

These integration efforts have now led to Sony establishing a new PlayStation studio, The Game Post reports, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. This new subsidiary, with approximately 40 employees, has taken over the development of Gummy Bears. Although the upcoming first-party PlayStation game is likely years away from release, its current stage of development remains unclear. Despite the scarcity of details on Gummy Bears, The Game Post reports that the MOBA will adopt a feature from Super Smash Bros.

Gummy Bears Reportedly Won't Have Health Bars, Similar to Smash Bros.

Specifically, Gummy Bears is said to be designed without health bars; its health system equivalent will function as a modifier that determines how far a character is knocked back when hit. When the percentage-based damage reaches a high enough level, characters can be knocked off the map. This system closely resembles the damage percent system used in the Super Smash Bros. games.

Gummy Bears will reportedly feature three character classes typical of MOBA games: Attack, Defense, and Support. The game is also said to include multiple game modes, along with an aesthetic described as cozy, vibrant, and "lo-fi." These descriptors mark a departure from Bungie's previous work, which The Game Post's sources claim is a deliberate choice to differentiate Gummy Bears from the studio's other offerings and appeal to a younger demographic.

Having been in development since at least 2022 during its time at Bungie, the recent claim of a developer switch aligns with the revelation that PlayStation has established a new studio in Los Angeles. It remains to be seen if this California-based division is the same one working on Gummy Bears.