Sony Says Bloodborne Sequel Stalls on Partner Consensus
Former PlayStation chairman Shawn Layden says getting every involved party to agree is the biggest obstacle to a Bloodborne sequel or remake.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Healthcare
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Former PlayStation chairman Shawn Layden said securing sign-off from all involved parties is the main challenge facing any Bloodborne sequel or remake. Layden led Sony Interactive Entertainment's Worldwide Studios during the game's original development, which was released in 2015.
Why it matters
A new Bloodborne project cannot be greenlit by Sony alone, since the game was co-developed by FromSoftware and Sony's Japan Studio. Sony's 2021 closure of Japan Studio removed an internal team with direct experience of the game's proprietary assets.
Sony holds a minority stake of roughly 14.09% in FromSoftware as of 2022, and Japan Studio was effectively closed in 2021 after co-developing Bloodborne. Whether a sequel or remake would be pursued and under what partner arrangement has not been disclosed.
The players
Shawn Layden
Former chairman of PlayStation who led Sony Interactive Entertainment's Worldwide Studios during Bloodborne's development.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Sony's gaming division and primary publisher of Bloodborne, which holds the game's trademark.
FromSoftware
Japanese developer co-responsible for Bloodborne and known for the Souls series of games.
The details
Layden stated that achieving agreement among every involved party is the most significant hurdle for any new project. Bloodborne remains locked to the PlayStation 4 and is playable on PlayStation 5 through backward compatibility, but it lacks 60fps performance patches or 4K resolution updates.
Timeline
2015: Bloodborne is originally released.
2020: Demon's Souls remake is released.
2021: Sony restructures and effectively closes Japan Studio.
2022: Sony's roughly 14.09% stake in FromSoftware is reported.
November 6, 2026: Layden's comments are published.
Industry Dynamics
Sony's 2020 Demon's Souls remake shows the publisher has previously revived FromSoftware titles, yet Bloodborne has not received a comparable update. The contrast highlights how partner alignment and studio closures can stall franchise revivals across the game industry.
Players wanting Bloodborne on current hardware should expect it to stay on PlayStation 4 and backward-compatible PlayStation 5 for now. Without a confirmed sequel or remake, buyers have no announced upgrade path or new release date.
The takeaway
Projects tied to multiple corporate stakeholders can stall even when fan demand is high, so expect franchise revivals to move slowly until partner agreements are settled.
Further reading
For broader industry context, see the Healthcare section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bognor Regis News.
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