Ghost of Yōtei studio Sucker Punch is getting new leadership

Sucker Punch Productions, the PlayStation studio behind games like Ghost of Yōtei and the Infamous and Sly Cooper series, will be headed up by Jason Connell and Adrian Bentley starting January 1st, Sony announced on Tuesday. Studio co-founder Brian Fleming is stepping down and will be “passing Sucker Punch studio leadership on to a new generation.”

Connell recently served as co-creative director on the Ghost franchise — I spoke to him earlier this year about Ghost of Yōtei’s cinematic modes. Bentley has been the studio’s technical director, leading Sucker Punch’s engineering and production teams.

“As Sucker Punch moves forward under Jason and Adrian’s leadership, the team remains dedicated to crafting new adventures that capture the imagination of players everywhere,” Sony says. Ahead of the transition, Fleming has “worked closely with PlayStation Studios to ensure that Sucker Punch was in the best hands moving forward with a strong foundation for the studio’s continued success.”

Fleming, on LinkedIn, says that “I really don’t know what’s next” and that he’s going to stay at Sucker Punch through April to help with the transition.