Summary
- Bungie’s mysterious game code-named Gummy Bears has reportedly changed developers and is now in the works at a new PlayStation studio.
- While primarily a MOBA, the game is rumored to take inspiration from Super Smash Bros. in that it will feature a percentage-based damage system instead of health bars.
- Gummy Bears is said to have been in the works for at least three years, but could still be years away from hitting the market. It will reportedly target a younger demographic than any prior Bungie game.
A first-party PlayStation game code-named Gummy Bears is said to take some notable inspiration from the Super Smash Bros. series. That’s according to a newly emerged report that also reveals some other details about the mysterious PlayStation project.
The first whispers of Gummy Bears‘ existence emerged online in August 2023, when The Game Post reported that a MOBA title with this codename was in development at Bungie. A year later, Bungie announced it was laying off 220 employees—a 17% reduction in its workforce. On that occasion, the Destiny developer revealed that an additional 155 of its staffers would be integrated into Sony Interactive Entertainment in the near future.
Related
Bungie’s Marathon is Teed Up for a Huge 2025
While its release date may not be as early as fans were hoping for, 2025 is still expected to be a big year for Bungie’s Marathon reboot.
Those previously confirmed integration efforts have now resulted in Sony establishing a new PlayStation studio, The Game Post reports, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. The new subsidiary, which is said to number around 40 employees, is understood to have 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. And while details on Gummy Bears remain scarce, The Game Post reports that the MOBA will take a page from the Super Smash Bros. book.
Gummy Bears Reportedly Won’t Have Health Bars, Similar to Smash Bros.
Specifically, Gummy Bears is said to have been designed without health bars, with its health system equivalent merely functioning as a modifier determining how far a given character is knocked back when hit. When the percentage-based damage gets high enough, Gummy Bears characters can even be knocked off the map. All of this sounds remarkably similar to the so-called damage percent system utilized by the Super Smash Bros. games.
Gummy Bears will reportedly feature a trio of character classes typical for a MOBA game: Attack, Defense, and Support. Multiple game modes are also said to be part of the package, together with an aesthetic that’s described as cozy, vibrant, and “lo-fi.” All of those descriptors are unlike anything else Bungie did to date, which The Game Post’s sources claim is a deliberate design choice made in an attempt to differentiate Gummy Bears from the rest of the studio’s offerings and potentially appeal to a new, younger demographic.
Counting its time in incubation at Bungie, Gummy Bears has reportedly been in development since at least 2022. This newly emerged claim of the project’s developer switch aligns with the recent revelation that PlayStation has established a new studio in Los Angeles—at least assuming that this California-based division is the same one that’s working on Gummy Bears.
PlayStation 5
Sony’s PlayStation 5 is part of the ninth console generation and debuted with a launch lineup that included Demon’s Souls and Astro’s Playroom. The console comes with a Blu-ray disc, although a digital-only edition is also available for a cheaper price.