Sucker Punch Boss Brian Fleming Steps Down After 28 Years At The Ghost Of Yōtei Studio

Nearly three decades after cofounding the Washington-based game studio, Brian Fleming is stepping down as the head of Sucker Punch Productions. The studio best-known for the Ghost, Infamous, and Sly Cooper franchises will be run by fellow veterans Jason Connell and Adrian Bentley starting in 2026. Ghost of Yotei designer Nate Fox will remain co-creative director at the PlayStation first-party team.

Connell and Bentley have 37 years at Sucker Punch between them, with Connell serving as co-creative director and Bentley working as the studio’s technical director. Under new leadership, Sony says the team will continue to “focus on ambitious, character-driven experiences that define PlayStation Studios.” Fleming says he’ll stay on through April to help with the transition before looking for his next gig.

“So, what do you think I should do next? That’s the big question—because after 28 absolutely life changing years at the helm of Sucker Punch, I’ve decided it’s time to shake up the snow-globe,” he wrote on LinkedIn on Tuesday.

He continued, “I leave Sucker Punch in the capable hands of the strongest leadership team we’ve ever had—Adrian and Jason will do an amazing job as Studio Heads…And the rest of the directors—Nate, Joanna, Billy, Gail, Parker, Sonia, Rob etc…They are all so capable and so READY for new challenges that I have nothing but confidence the studio will continue to flourish.”

Sucker Punch was founded back in 1997 by Fleming and fellow ex-Microsoft employees Chris Zimmerman, Bruce Oberg, Darrell Plank, Tom Saxton, and Cathy Saxton. The team’s first game was a platformer called Rocket: Robot on Wheels for the N64 that barely made a ripple. Shortly after, however, the studio became synonymous with PlayStation after Sony acquired it and Sucker Punch shipped the first Sly Cooper on PlayStation 2.

Sucker Punch shifted to the sandbox super hero franchise Infamous during the PS3 years, followed by the open-world samurai Ghost games at the end of the PS4 era. While some other PlayStation studios have explored multiplayer live service projects, Sucker Punch appears to be firmly focused on single-player prestige blockbusters. Thought Ghost of Yotei does have a standalone multiplayer spin-off mode called Legends coming in 2026.

Here’s Sony’s full press release:

After nearly three decades helping bring to life iconic franchises like Sly Cooper, inFAMOUS, Ghost of Tsushima, and Ghost of Yōtei, Brian Fleming has announced he’s passing Sucker Punch studio leadership on to a new generation. Over the past year, Brian has worked closely with PlayStation Studios to ensure that Sucker Punch was in the best hands moving forward with a strong foundation for the studio’s continued success.

Starting January 1, longtime creative and technical leaders Jason Connell and Adrian Bentley will step into new roles as studio heads, continuing to guide the team’s focus on ambitious, character-driven experiences that define PlayStation Studios.

Jason and Adrian have been instrumental in shaping the creative and technical direction of Sucker Punch in recent years. Jason, who served as Co-Creative Director on the Ghost franchise, has helped define the studio’s visual identity and storytelling style, bringing cinematic depth and emotional resonance to PlayStation players around the world.

Adrian, as Technical Director, has led the studio’s engineering and production efforts, driving innovation across development tools and game systems that make Sucker Punch’s worlds so immersive. Together, they represent the perfect blend of creative vision and technical excellence that has always set the studio apart.

Nate Fox will continue as Co-Creative Director to complete the overall creative leadership team.

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.

Sucker Punch has been part of the PlayStation family since 2000, consistently delivering unforgettable worlds and beloved characters to players around the world. From Sly Cooper’s playful charm to the bold, cinematic storytelling of “Ghost,” the studio’s commitment to innovation and quality continues to set the standard for what makes PlayStation experiences unique.

As Sucker Punch moves forward under Jason and Adrian’s leadership, the team remains dedicated to crafting new adventures that capture the imagination of players everywhere.