Yumi Yang, the new head of God of War developer Sony Santa Monica Studio, brings with her 19 years of experience at PlayStation. Sony announced Yang’s promotion shortly after Google revealed that former Santa Monica Studio boss Shannon Studstill was opening a new development studio for the company in Playa Vista.
Sony Santa Monica Studio is best known for developing the God of War series. The studio developed the original God of War trilogy, the prequel God of War: Ascension, and 2018’s critically acclaimed reinvention of the franchise, God of War. A direct sequel to the 2018 God of War is reportedly in the works, which should come as no surprise given the game’s popularity and its open-ended conclusion.
Yang played a major role in God of War, working as its project manager, according to a statement given to IGN by Sony. She has been with Sony for 19 years, starting as a senior producer before becoming director of product development, meaning that she’s been with the developer since before the first God of War game was released. Sony expressed confidence that Yang’s experience with the team will help her succeed as the new head of its Southern California-based studio.
Before Yang’s promotion, her position was held by Shannon Studstill. Studstill helped found Sony Santa Monica Studio and oversaw the development of 2018’s God of War. She also served as vice president of product development, a role in which she worked with smaller development teams on games like Journey. Studstill is leaving Sony Santa Monica to lead a new Google development studio for Stadia games in nearby Playa Vista.
With her vast experience and deep understanding of the studio’s distinct creative DNA, she is perfectly positioned to lead Santa Monica Studio to a bold and exciting future.
With the upcoming launch of the PlayStation 5 and the inevitable God of War sequel on the horizon, this is no doubt an important time for Sony as a whole and for Santa Monica Studio specifically. Losing a veteran like Studstill to Google could be disruptive to the studio, but Yang’s track record make her the obvious choice to take over and keep Sony Santa Monica Studio up to its high standards. The move is also likely good news for Google, as acquiring the talents of a proven studio director like Studstill cold prove crucial in turning Stadia into a genuine contender after what was by all accounts a disastrous launch for the console.
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Source: IGN
