PlayStation has removed beloved platforming mascot Sackboy from the cast of characters featured in its movies intro, leading some fans to fear for the future of LittleBigPlanet.
As spotted by X user Radec, the PlayStation Productions intro for the recent Until Dawn movie has removed Sackboy from its cast of characters, compared to previous stings featured before movies like 2023’s Gran Turismo, which included the character.
Sony’s PlayStation Studios intro included at the start of its PS5 games are bespoke for each game, usually featuring characters from each game’s specific series. However, PlayStation Productions’ intro has always included a cast of characters from across PlayStation’s first-party games, seemingly representing their importance to the gaming brand.
Unsurprisingly, then, many fans view the Until Dawn omission as another sign that LittleBigPlanet’s importance could be on the wane at PlayStation – especially with another platformer, Astro Bot, now sweeping the Game of the Year awards and more frequently appearing as PlayStation’s mascot at public events.
“It’s like seeing a family member getting cut out of the picture,” wrote one X user. “It’s very sad to see sackboy just full on getting removed and I don’t like that.” Another added: “Why can’t Astro and Sackboy coexist… they’d be besties.”
Sony indefinitely shut the online servers for LittleBigPlanet 3 last year, months after it claimed it had “temporarily” taken the game offline while it resolved technical issues. Later the same year, it announced that LittleBigPlanet 3 and LittleBigPlanet DLC were being removed from the PlayStation Store.
Sony-owned LBP creator Media Molecule wrote on X at the time: “LittleBigPlanet shaped us as a studio & remains an important part of who we are. We are & always will be forever grateful for it & the incredible community it has inspired.”
Guildford, UK-based Media Molecule has undergone significant restructuring over the last couple of years, resulting in an unspecified number of layoffs and the discontinuation of live support for its most recent release, the PS4 title Dreams.
It’s currently working on a new IP being overseen by John Beech, who was appointed as studio creative director in 2023. He stepped up from the position of lead designer to take on the role previously held by Media Molecule co-founder Mark Healey, who left the company the same year.
