LittleBigPlanet 3‘s servers were temporarily shut down in January 2024, due to “ongoing technical issues” which were not specified by developer Sumo Digital and publisher Sony. Now, it appears those technical issues have made the game unsalvageable – as Sony has confirmed LittleBigPlanet 3‘s servers will not go back online in future.
The news was shared on the Sony website and on the LittleBigPlanet Twitter account. Both updates share the same explanation: “Due to ongoing technical issues which resulted in the LittleBigPlanet 3 servers for PS4 being taken offline temporarily in January 2024, the decision has been made to keep the servers offline indefinitely.”
“All online services including access to other players’ creations for LittleBigPlanet 3 are no longer available. User generated content (UGC) stored locally on your PS4 will remain available. Any new UGC you create can be played on your PS4 but not shared. Offline features such as the campaign will remain playable.”
As detailed, players will no longer be able to go online to download user-generated content, which includes a vast array of new levels and challenges created by players worldwide.
Read: Long-absent LittleBigPlanet spin-off game resurfaces online
Servers for the first three LittleBigPlanet games on last generation consoles had been shut down in 2021, but LittleBigPlanet 3 for PlayStation 4 had remained online. With the official closure of these servers, a whole decade’s worth of UGC has now been lost.
Fans of the LittleBigPlanet series have voiced frustration over Sony and Sumo Digital’s choice to permanently shut down the LBP 3 servers, accusing them of “giving up” on fixing the game. Some have pointed out the permanent closure of the server will mean the game’s platinum is not achievable. Others are lamenting the loss of years of great player-designed levels and user content that is now “lost” to the digital ether.
While players will maintain access to their own created levels, and the game itself will remain fully playable offline, this content will now be cut off and players will not be able to download new content for the game.
It should be noted that LittleBigPlanet 3 is now approaching its tenth anniversary, and that severs for all games require active maintenance and support that will eventually end – but as passionate players have shared online, the suddenness of LittleBigPlanet 3‘s shuttering has meant players weren’t able to preserve their content or “save” new levels prior to shutdown.
Regardless, it appears Sony and Sumo Digital’s announcement spells the end for LittleBigPlanet 3. After a decade in operation, the servers have now officially closed. At this stage, it doesn’t appear there are any plans to send them live again, even to preserve those player-created levels.
