After 28 years, co-founder and studio head Brian Fleming is leaving Sucker Punch Productions in April of next year.
Announced yesterday by studio owner Sony Interactive Entertainment, Fleming, who worked on the Sly Cooper and InFamous franchises, as well as both Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yōtei, has been working closely with PlayStation Studios this past year to ensure a strong foundation after his departure.
Starting January 1, Fleming will be succeeded by two new studio heads: Jason Connell, the co-creative director on the Ghost franchise, and Adrian Bentley, technical director at Sucker Punch.
“Jason and Adrian have been instrumental in shaping the creative and technical direction of Sucker Punch in recent years,” reads Sony’s announcement.
“Brian’s vision and leadership have shaped the studio’s culture of creativity and collaboration and established a foundation that Jason, Adrian, and the entire team will build on as they look to the future.”
Via LinkedIn, Fleming said that he will stay with the studio through April to “assist with transition,” and then take some time off with family for travel. According to him, he doesn’t know what comes next.
“I’m trying to sort out which opportunities I want to explore next… Some industry, some tech, some entertainment and some advocacy/politics stuff all part of the space I’m thinking hard about,” Fleming wrote.
Back in September, Sucker Punch fired senior texture artist Drew Harrison over social media posts that joked about the September 10 killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Harrison defended their conduct in a number of now-deleted posts where she stated: “If standing up against fascism is what cost me my dream job I held for 10 years, I would do it again 100x stronger.”
The topic was brought up during one of Fleming’s last interviews as studio head. When asked about the firing, he told Game File that “the facts are accurate.” Fleming then acknowledged the statement from the Sony spokesperson, saying that Harrison was no longer an employee at Sucker Punch.
“I think we’re aligned as a studio that celebrating or making light of someone’s murder is a deal-breaker for us, and we condemn that, kind of in no uncertain terms,” he continued. “That’s sort of our studio, and that’s kind of where we are.” A Sony representative intervened before he could offer any further comment.
Elsewhere, according to Sony’s fiscal report for the second quarter ended September 30, 2025, Ghost of Yōtei accrued 3.3 million sales as of November 2nd, meaning that the game achieved that figure in its first month, following its launch on October 2nd.
