In the latest blow to hit the games industry, Sony has confirmed that ‘significant’ layoffs are set to sweep PlayStation. It was said by Jim Ryan – the soon-to-be-leaving executive – that around 900 employees (8% of the workforce) will be made redundant on a global scale. These layoffs will impact most of PlayStation’s studios, including Insomniac (Spider-Man), Naughty Dog (The Last of Us), Firesprite (PSVR), and Guerrilla (Horizon).
Most notably, PlayStation’s London Studio will be hit the hardest, with the office being closed completely. In a statement, it was said that these layoffs are part of a goal to ‘deliver the best gaming experiences possible’, but they’re adding further pressure to the industry that has been marred so heavily by thousands of layoffs littered throughout the last year.
‘Difficult News About Our Workforce’
That was the title of the blog post that broke this news to the gaming world, written by SIE’s President & CEO, Jim Ryan. In the coming weeks, Jim Ryan will be preparing to step down from Sony after a thirty-year career at the company. He wrote:
‘After careful consideration and many leadership discussions over several months, it has become clear changes need to be made to continue to grow the business and develop the company. We had to step back, look at our business holistically, and move forward focusing on the long-term sustainability of the company and delivering the best experiences possible for our community. The goal is to streamline our resources to ensure our continued success and ability to deliver experiences gamers and creators have come to expect from us.’
These layoffs impact Sony on a global scale, reaching the Americas, EMEA, Japan, and APAC. Ryan continued:
‘This will not be easy, and I am aware of the impact it will have on wellbeing. Affected employees will receive support, including severance benefits. While these are challenging times, it is not indicative of a lack of strength of our company, our brand, or our industry. Our goal is to remain agile and adaptable and to continue to focus on delivering the best gaming experiences possible now and in the future.’
In the last year, more than 12,000 industry workers have lost their jobs, and there’s no sign of that trend slowing down any time soon. It’s a tough time for the business, and both the esports and gaming verticals are feeling the intense pressure of these pinches.
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