A China Hero Project studio has accused Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) China division of mismanagement, financial harm, and attempting to take control of its game after years of stalled development, according to reporting by Noisy Pixel, which reviewed internal emails, chat logs, and formal complaints shared by the studio.
Loongforce, the Chengdu-based studio behind the co-op shooter Convallaria, says its partnership with SIE China deteriorated following a leadership change in 2022. According to the studio, communication slowed, publishing support became inconsistent, and key decisions were repeatedly delayed without explanation.
The studio claims that by mid-2023, multiple requests for clarity around marketing, server deployment, and launch planning went unanswered. Even after Convallaria passed Sony’s internal beta approval in January 2025, Loongforce says the project effectively froze. No player tests were conducted, no storefront pages were created, and no marketing activity followed.
Loongforce also alleges that Convallaria was removed from official China Hero Project promotion. Although a producer participated in filming for PlayStation China’s 10th anniversary video highlighting participating studios, the final release reportedly excluded the game. The studio says it was never given an explanation.
Financial pressure intensified in early 2025. Loongforce claims delayed payments caused monthly losses exceeding $230,000 and pushed the studio close to collapse by April. Despite this, the team says it continued delivering weekly builds and completed a U.S. server test. The studio alleges that Sony later terminated a payment agreement and proposed new cooperation terms it viewed as unreasonable, leading Loongforce to halt collaboration. Total losses are estimated to exceed $1 million.
The studio further raises concerns about conflicts of interest within SIE China’s production structure. Loongforce alleges outsourcing work was consistently directed to Virtuos without competitive bidding or developer approval. It also claims it was required to fund an IT security restructuring carried out by a company with ties to former Virtuos employees, work Loongforce says fell outside its contractual obligations.
The dispute reportedly escalated in June 2025, when Loongforce claims it was told development leadership of Convallaria would be transferred to an “SIE Global Team” and that refusal would prevent the game from launching. The studio disputes both the authority and practicality of such a move, describing it as an attempt to seize control of the project.
Loongforce says it pursued internal resolution for more than a year before speaking publicly. As of publishing, Sony Interactive Entertainment and the China Hero Project have not responded to requests for comment.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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