Daybreak’s DC Universe Online launches native PS5 version, picks up ex-Cryptic devs, drops huge 2024 roadmap

If you cast your mind back to early February, you might recall that Daybreak parent company EG7 specifically called out DC Universe Online studio Dimensional Ink for hurting Daybreak’s performance in Q4 2023. “The underperformance is largely attributable to the lower content delivery for a few of the titles for the year, including the delayed launch of DC Universe Online (DCUO) on the latest generation of consoles, which had an impact on the game’s visibility during the year-end holidays, especially on PlayStation 5,” the company said. “The launch is now set for Q1 2024.” It was all a bit hard to believe since Daybreak had just undergone layoffs that hit the Dimensional Ink team – the last thing you’d think a company would do if it was trying to get a console launch out the door.

Anyhow, with absolutely no preamble hype at all, Dimensional Ink just… tweeted it out. The launch is live as of this afternoon, and all accounts and characters should be accessible as normal regardless of which client you’re on.

“Up ‘til now, DCUO was playable on PlayStation 5 consoles via backwards-compatibility – you can run the PlayStation 4 version of the game and play without issue,” the studio says.

“Today, though, we’re launching a native PlayStation 5 client for the game! Having the game available natively on PlayStation 5 means it’s easier than ever to find and download the game on PSN, and easier than ever for new players to discover it and jump in. Plus, there are plenty of benefits to playing on the native PlayStation 5 client, even if you’re already using the backwards-compatible PlayStation 4 version. Playing on PS5 ensures faster load times, smoother transitions, and higher framerates.”

The release was accompanied by a letter from the game’s new lead producer, Kenn “Kendricke” White, who says that in spite of the layoffs, the “team is growing” and “making significant investments in the game’s future, people who are working on this beloved project, and in DCUO’s overall growth.” That includes the hiring of two former Cryptic devs whose names you’ll immediately recognize: new creative director Al Rivera and new art director Scot Boyd.

With the launch done, the studio has laid out a roadmap for the rest of the year and even into Q1 of 2025; this spring, the team is working on episode 47, which sees the return of Brainiac, and the next base, Sunstone Fortress, which launches in April. Episode 48 is also already in pre-production and is due out in Q3, followed by episode 49 early next year.

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