LittleBigPlanet Hub was announced for PlayStation 3 way back in 2013, with the intention for it to continue the cute shenanigans and exploration-based gameplay of the LittleBigPlanet series. While the game was never officially cancelled, it also never released. Now, more than ten years on, the first gameplay footage for LittleBigPlanet Hub has been posted to YouTube.
As spotted by Eurogamer, a YouTube user known as LittleBigRussia posted a 7-minute clip of the game on 23 February 2024, with the beta footage showing off some early, complete levels, special costumes, and a number of challenges, narrated by Stephen Fry.
The video’s description – “LittleBigPlanet HUB beta official gameplay full walkthrough recorded in 2013″ – gives away little, but additional posts by LittleBigRussia outlined that the beta footage was seemingly obtained legitimately, from a private beta that is still downloadable on PlayStation 3.
LittleBigRussia has claimed they were part of the beta testing group for the game, who were invited to try out a private build ahead of the game’s launch.
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As speculated by commenters, the posted footage and seeming “leak” could be the result of an expiring NDA, as it’s now been more than 10 years since the beta took place – but the exact circumstances of the LittleBigPlanet Hub footage being posted are unknown. Given the secretive nature of beta tests, and the typical reluctance of studios to talk about cancelled projects, we may never know more.
Regardless, it’s a very intriguing glimpse at a LittleBigPlanet project that never quite made it to release. As the footage shows off, the game does appear very similar to its predecessors, and to LittleBigPlanet 3, which was released in 2014. While unconfirmed, it may be that Hub turned into the third LittleBigPlanet adventure, with its concepts and features adapted for a larger game.
For now, the beta footage posted by LittleBigRussia appears to be the only remnant of gameplay footage revealed for the long-absent adventure – but as Eurogamer reports, the beta build has now seemingly been released online, so there will likely be more footage posted shortly.
