Sucker Punch Gets New Studio Heads in 2026

The developers behind this year’s Ghost of Yōtei, Sucker Punch, will be under new leadership starting on January 1, 2026. Sucker Punch co-founder Brian Fleming has announced that he’s passing studio leadership on to a new generation, with Jason Connell and Adrian Bentley stepping in as studio heads. Over the past year, Fleming has been working closely with PlayStation Studios to ensure a smooth transition.

Both Connell and Bentley have played important roles for Sucker Punch in recent years. Connell served as co-creative director for the Ghost franchise, while Bentley, as technical director, has been in charge of Sucker Punch’s engineering and production efforts. Completing the overall creative leadership team is Nate Fox, who will continue as co-creative director.

Since 2000, Sucker Punch has been part of the PlayStation family. For many, they’re simply the studio behind Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yōtei, but they also brought the Sly Cooper and Infamous franchises to life. Considering Ghost of Yōtei launched this year, it makes sense that a leadership transition is taking place now. It’ll be interesting to see what Sucker Punch has planned next.

While I did enjoy my time with Ghost of Yōtei, I couldn’t help but feel like it was too similar to Ghost of Tsushima. As I mentioned in my review, it’s a visually jaw-dropping adventure with a vast sense of freedom, but its safe and familiar structure really dampens the experience.