After Sony has canceled several of its games in development for the PS5, further layoffs are likely to follow. These are said to affect two studios, one of which was previously involved in the remaster of The Last of Us.
Which studios are affected? According to an anonymous source as reported by Kotaku, layoffs have occurred at the PlayStation studio Visual Arts. This studio recently worked on the remasters of The Last of Us Part 1 and Part 2.
There have reportedly also been job cuts at PS Studios Malaysia. This is suggested by a post on LinkedIn, made by former Senior Project Manager Johann Affendy Mahfoor. He was also laid off.
Layoffs likely due to canceled service games
Why these layoffs? Sony is likely letting go of employees who worked on recently canceled projects. These included two planned service games: one from Bend Studios, the developers of Days Gone, and one set in the God of War universe.
According to Kotaku’s source, the layoffs are not limited to developers who worked on the canceled service games but are more widespread
. The source does not specify how many are affected. Sony has not yet responded to Kotaku’s request for a comment on the matter.
Mahfoor reports: “There was a wave of layoffs, and unfortunately, I am no longer part of the PS brand, along with a few other colleagues from production.” It is also not known how many people have lost their jobs.
The saddest and most shocking part for me was seeing high-performing and central people, who were actively working on projects, being let go.
Johann Affendy Mahfoor, former Senior Project Manager at PS Studios Malaysia
Other employees report layoffs
Are there more voices regarding the layoffs? Yes, two former employees of Visual Arts, Chris Clyde and Lewis Labram, also state on LinkedIn that they have been laid off.
Labram writes: “With a heavy heart, I have to say that I was affected by the PSVA layoffs today. The worst part about it is that this was the best job I’ve ever had, the dream team and the great projects were incredibly exciting, and I enjoyed every day.”
Riot Games R&D Senior Lead Producer Amy LeMaster, who previously worked at Visual Arts, shared her thoughts on the layoffs on Monday.
“It was tough waking up this morning to hear that many friends and former colleagues at PSVA were laid off,” LeMaster writes on LinkedIn. She adds: “This industry can be unpredictable, but the skill, experience, and passion of the people I worked with at PSVA are undeniable.”
At the end of February, a foundation from the Netherlands prepared a class-action lawsuit against Sony. The PlayStation company is accused of using its market power to artificially keep prices high in its own store. Read more about this in the article: PS5: Sony faces a class-action lawsuit over “artificially high” prices in the PS Store
