Astro's Playroom studio is expanding for its biggest game yet

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Team Asobi is growing for a new challenge

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The next game from Astro’s Playroom developer will be its “biggest to date.”

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in a new interview this week, Team Asobi creative director Nicholas Doucet revealed the studio’s next title is already in production. Doucet firstly confirmed the developer has a brand new game in production, and merely commented that it’s “going fine.”

We don’t know anything more about this new project from Team Asobi, but it’ll likely continue to utilize the PS5’s DualSense controller. Doucet reveals that the team considers the DualSense’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback a “secret weapon” in development, and they’re continuing to iterate on the controller.

This is finally confirmation of a new title in development at the studio since a job listing outed a new project in July 2021. At the time, a job listing revealed Team Asobi was working on a new 3D action platformer, which admittedly sounds in a similar vein to Astro’s Playroom itself. 

To match the new scope of their biggest ever game, Team Asobi has staffed up considerably since Astro’s Playroom launched. The studio had around 35 employees in late 2020 when Astro’s Playroom launched, and has since expanded to 60 developers. Doucet wouldn’t be surprised if that number increases to 100, and said that if the studio was to double in headcount, they’d find work for everybody. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.