- Sony is gearing up for another round of PlayStation Studio layoffs.
- Reports suggest that studios like Bungie and Housemarque are not at risk.
- The reports of these layoffs follow similar reports of layoffs at Xbox.
According to new industry reports, Sony Interactive Entertainment is allegedly prepping for another wave of restructuring. This could bring further PlayStation Studio layoffs and potential closures of studios under their banner.
PlayStation July Layoffs Could Hit Unexpected Studios Under the Company’s Banner
The reports regarding the PlayStation layoffs first surfaced via French investigative journalist Sylvain Trinel. They suggest that major publishers are bracing for an extremely turbulent summer. In the report, Trinel, while discussing the current layoff situation over at Xbox, indicated that a wider wave of shutdowns is on the horizon for many studios that are owned by publishers. “It’s going to be a catastrophe,” the journalist stated while naming studios like Don’t Nod and Quantic Dream being at risk.
While specific targets within Sony’s portfolio have not been officially confirmed, the names that are circulating are Media Molecule, the UK-based developers behind LittleBigPlanet. This is because the studio has not released a major title since 2020 and has undergone its own restructurings in recent years, making it a viable candidate for consolidation.
It is important to note that many players have speculated about studios like Bungie and Housemarque, the studios behind Marathon and Saros, respectively, to be primary targets for the PlayStation Studio layoffs. However, Trinel was quick to state, “Keep an eye on the month of July (but not necessarily for the studios you’re talking about).” This comment suggests that the layoffs could hit unexpected corners of the company’s massive portfolio.
If these reports are to be believed, they will follow an already brutal period of downsizing and layoffs for PlayStation Studios. In March of this year, Sony announced that it would be shuttering London Studio, leading to 900 employees being laid off. Before that, it was Bluepoint Games, most known for their Demon’s Souls remake. More recently, Sony has also closed smaller outfits like Dark Outlaw Games in its downsizing efforts.
For both fans and developers, the coming weeks will likely reveal how big an impact these layoffs will have on Sony and its first-party ecosystem. With more than 45,000 jobs lost between 2022 and 2025 alone, it looks like this downward trend is set to continue and mark this era as one of, if not the most, severe period in gaming history.
What do you think about the reports about possible PlayStation Studio layoffs? Tell us in the comments below!
