Sony Rejected Insomniac’s Pitch for Resistance 4, Says Outgoing CEO

Sony turned down Insomniac Games’ pitch for Resistance 4, effectively ending the franchise, according to outgoing CEO Ted Price. Speaking on the Kinda Funny Gamescast, Price revealed that the studio had developed “a wonderful concept” for a sequel, but Sony declined to move forward due to concerns over “timing and market opportunity.”

“We did pitch that one,” Price said, referring to Resistance 4. “It was a wonderful concept… the result of a lot of Insomniac team members being passionate about extending the story further.” He emphasized the series’ rich alternate history setting, noting, “We spent a lot of time working on backstory and brainstorming on where we could take this in the future.”

Despite the enthusiasm, Sony opted not to move forward with the project, Price said. The exact timing of the pitch remains unclear, but in a 2011 interview with Eurogamer, Price mentioned that the studio was “not slated” to develop Resistance 4. By 2012, he stated definitively, “We won’t be making any more ‘Resistances.’”

Reflecting on the series, Price expressed a desire for its revival, calling it “near and dear to my heart” He added, “When you work on a franchise for a long time, it’s nice to have a chance to move onto something else. And at the same time, it’s also nice to be able to come back to it.” He noted that since Insomniac is part of Sony, which owns the Resistance intellectual property, there’s always an opportunity to revisit the series in the future.

Ted Price, founder and president of Insomniac Games, announced his retirement in January 2025 after more than 30 years with the company. He is set to step down at the end of March 2025, with leadership transitioning to Chad Dezern, Ryan Schneider, and Jen Huang as co-studio heads. 

The Resistance series is a first-person shooter franchise that debuted with Resistance: Fall of Man as a launch title for the PlayStation 3 in 2006. The series includes Resistance 2 (2008) and Resistance 3 (2011), exploring an alternate history during the 1950s where humanity battles a formidable alien threat known as the Chimera.

Resistance series expanded beyond the main PlayStation 3 titles with spin-offs for Sony’s handheld consoles. In 2009, Resistance: Retribution was released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP), developed by Bend Studio. In 2012, Resistance: Burning Skies by Nihilistic Software was launched for the PlayStation Vita. The series started strong both commercially and critically, but over the years it experienced a decline in sales with subsequent releases, despite maintaining generally positive critical reception.

Insomniac Games is currently working on Marvel’s Wolverine, an upcoming action-adventure game for PlayStation 5. First announced in September 2021, the project that still doesn’t have a release date, promises a darker, more mature take on the iconic Marvel character. Details remain scarce, but the studio has hinted at an ambitious vision for the game and plans to reveal more as development moves forward.