PlayStation layoffs explained: Which studios are impacted and why?
A recap of yesterday's announcement.
It's a distressing time for the gaming industry. Yesterday, Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed it would be laying off a huge number of employees across the globe and closing a significant studio "in its entirety".
This decision impacts workers involved in a number of other PlayStation studios, too, some of which are behind the platform's most iconic and popular titles.
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Such a large percentage of Sony's worldwide workforce being let go at once is huge news, so we'll do our best to break it down for you here.
Which studios are impacted by PlayStation layoffs?
Perhaps the most significant studio to be impacted is PlayStation's London studio, which is to "close in its entirety".
The London studio worked on PlayStation VR Worlds, Blood and Truth, Singstar Ultimate Party and numerous other projects. It was also said to have a VR-based, London-set fantasy game in the works.
Other studios impacted to lesser degrees include Insomniac (makers of the recent Spider-Man games and the upcoming Wolverine), Naughty Dog (The Last of Us, Uncharted), Guerrilla (Horizon Zero Dawn, Forbidden West) and Firesprite (Horizon Call of the Mountain, The Playroom VR and numerous other projects).
As so many studios are impacted, it will come as no surprise that plenty of games in progress will be cancelled.
These games are yet to be named, but we know this is the case.
Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, said the following in a blog post: "We looked at our studios and our portfolio, evaluating projects in various stages of development, and have decided that some of those projects will not move forward."
You can read the full blog post now.
Why is PlayStation making so many layoffs?
In a separate blog post, Jim Ryan (president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment) announced the news that the company would make "a reduction of our overall headcount globally by about 8 per cent or about 900 people".
His reason for this decision is because "the industry has changed immensely, and we need to future ready ourselves to set the business up for what lies ahead".
"We need to deliver on expectations from developers and gamers and continue to propel future technology in gaming," he continued, "so we took a step back to ensure we are set up to continue bringing the best gaming experiences to the community."
You can read the full blog post, along with the email he sent out to the company, now.
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Authors
Ben Huxley is a freelance contributor to Radio Times, with bylines also in TechRadar, WhatCulture, GAMINGbible, and Live Science. A writer of fiction, too, he has a few short stories published and a novel on the way. He has a BA in English Literature, and an MA in creative writing.
