PlayStation is experiencing a wave of layoffs and losing more than 900 jobs, affecting major studios

The London PlayStation studio is closing after 20 years, and Firesprite, the creators of Horizon Call of the Mountain and Naughty Dog, will suffer from layoffs

The video game industry has been rocked over the past year and a half. Business restructuring followed by mass layoffs And closing Research has been happening month after month since the start of 2023, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down. last wave cuts affect Sony Interactive Entertainmentwhich will reduce their workforce by approximately 8%, which means dismissal from all over 900 people.

If we look at the Kotaku website, despite the sadness it makes us read this thread, the Anglo-Saxon website is tracking how many layoffs have occurred since January 4, 2024, with Archiact layoffs first to start the list. A 2024 is very difficult for an industry that suffered last year in 2023, with almost 3,000 layoffs counted in 12 months, and Sony now has almost a thousand layoffs.

In an official statement, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced its decision to reduce its workforce worldwide, which will impact North American bands, European And Asiatic companies. The company calls the move a “difficult business decision” and will result in the layoff of 900 workers from PlayStation StudiosWith Special attention V Great Britain.

“The PlayStation community is everything to us,” an official statement signed by Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment was quoted as saying, highlighting the importance of this decision to us. guarantee continuity and future success business. Recognizing invaluable contribution Of the affected employees, Sony expressed gratitude for their talents and dedication, noting that they have become a fundamental part of its trajectory of achievement.

The announcement, accompanied by an internal email sent to employees, contains context about the reasons for this measure. Sony emphasized the need to adapt to the ever-changing industry landscape and remain at the forefront in terms of technology and gaming experience. This reorganization, although painful, is intended to “ensure that the company can meet expectations from both developers and players.”

As Jason Schreier confirmed shortly after the official announcement, the layoffs actually affected several of the company’s top studios. Among the list, and although we do not know their number depending on the study, SIE has cut staff from Games for insomnia, Playful puppy, Guerrilla games and, as we will see below, Fire Sprite.

Sony to close London studio

As we’ve already mentioned, although the multinational has announced that almost a thousand employees are working in development studios and offices around the world, the UK has been hit hard. To begin with, SIE announced cutfrom Unknown number, personnel in Firesprite Studioresponsible for the development of Horizon Call of the Mountain.

However, the biggest blow has been dealt London studiowho announces his closing. With over 20 years of experience in the video game industry, this company is a pioneer among Sony in the use of augmented reality, will close forever. The British studio signed a deal with EyeToy to produce the first augmented reality camera on the PlayStation 2 and was responsible for developing the social communications platform PlayStation Home.

“This will not be easy and I am aware of the impact it will have on wellbeing. Affected employees will receive support, including compensation for dismissal. Although these are difficult times, this does not indicate a lack of strength in our company,” the company statement concluded.

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