LITTLEBIGPLANET SERIES

Sumo Digital has had the privilege of contributing to the beloved LittleBigPlanet franchise across multiple titles. Our involvement has spanned co-development, live operations support, and full game development, helping bring creative, family-friendly experiences to millions of players worldwide.

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The Ask

Following a number of years of collaboration supporting LittleBigPlanet 2, Sumo worked closely with Sony to create Sackboy: A Big Adventure, an original co-op platformer that showcased the power and potential of the PlayStation 5.
This ambitious project required us to reimagine the franchise for a new generation while maintaining its charm and accessibility. Despite the challenges of a global pandemic, the game launched alongside the PS5 and went on to win two BAFTA awards.

Project Details

Platforms: PlayStation 3 | PlayStation 4 | PlayStation 5 | PC

Genre: Co-op Platformer

Partner: Sony External Development Studio Europe

Service: Live Ops & Co-Development (LittleBigPlanet 3) / Full-Development (Sackboy: A Big Adventure)

Engine: Unreal Engine 4

 

Our Involvement

Live Ops & Co-Development: LittleBigPlanet 3

  • Delivered 5+ years of live-environment support (2012–2017), including regular patches every 6–8 weeks.
  • Maintained stability and introduced new content, features, and gameplay systems.
  • Supported multi-console release (PS3 & PS4) with full backwards compatibility for user-generated content from previous titles.
  • Managed 10+ million user-generated levels and ensured seamless player account migrations.
  • Operated a custom server environment integrated with PlayStation Network and web APIs for second-screen experiences.

Full Game Development: Sackboy: A Big Adventure

  • Reimagined the franchise to focus on Play, creating an accessible, all-ages platformer.
  • Built entirely in Unreal Engine 4, pivoting mid-development to make PS5 the lead platform.
  • Overcame the challenge of remote development during COVID-19 lockdowns to deliver a PS5 launch title.
  • Achieved critical acclaim, earning two BAFTA awards for innovation and excellence.

Impact

Our collaboration with Sony on the LittleBigPlanet series demonstrates Sumo’s ability to deliver long-term live service support for complex, user-driven ecosystems. We executed full-scale development of award-winning titles under challenging conditions, and adapted to evolving technology and player expectations while maintaining the heart of a beloved franchise.
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OTHER WORK

A screenshot from Neural Dawn; the world's first game to use Unreal Engine MegaLights on mobile, created by Sumo Digital in partnership with Arm using Arm Neural Technology. The screenshot showcases the player character, a humanoid robot made up of interlocking metal components, looking towards a floating smaller robot. They are both standing in an interior cavern environment, dimly lit except for a strong red-hued light that casts their shadow onto the rocky cavern wall behind.

Neural Dawn

Discover how Sumo partnered with Arm to create the world’s first mobile game to use Unreal Engine’s MegaLights, delivering desktop-class, fully ray-traced dynamic lighting with hundreds of shadow-casting lights, made possible through Arm’s new Neural Technology.

Find out more
A winding road lined with cherry blossom trees curves towards a distant pagoda, with Mount Fuji in the background under a colourful sunset sky. Drones form the shape of a heart above the landscape.

Forza Horizon Series

Discover how Sumo Digital established a long-term partnership with Playground Games, helping to deliver multiple entries in their iconic driving series, Forza Horizon.​

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Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition

Discover how Sumo Digital brought Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition to the new Nintendo Switch 2 platform; uniquely providing the player the option to select from multiple framerates and introducing DLSS support

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Our Work
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