2023 has been a good year for the gaming industry, but many developers have struggled to hold their jobs. With industry giants like Epic Games and CDPR experiencing massive layoffs, developers have been through a rough time recently. Similarly, PlayStation also faced several job cuts.
Most recently, Naughty Dog let go of several workers, with reports pointing to a rough fate for The Last of Us Multiplayer. Weeks after these people departed from the studio, even more developers have reported layoffs at PlayStation.
Why it matters: Layoffs can be devastating for developers since they can have a mental impact when teams fear losing their jobs. The recent trend of mass layoffs has also encouraged many to form unions.
Layoffs at PlayStation pic.twitter.com/XUYpTHe08O
— Timur222 (@bogorad222) October 21, 2023
As spotted by Timur222, Daniel Bellemare’s LinkedIn profile confirms PlayStation laid off more developers last week.
The developer’s profile mentions that work on an unannounced project was underway before he was laid off. Another developer, Matt Barney, has shared a similar comment on LinkedIn.
For now, the exact number of people affected by the latest layoffs is unknown. Matt Barney highlights that he supported various studios and games while working for the gaming giant. Therefore, it seems PlayStation has laid off support developers.
Earlier this year, PlayStation Visual Arts and Deviation Games went through a similar scenario. As such, these job cuts may be indicative of a bigger problem at Sony’s internal studios not known to the public.
Additionally, studios like BioWare, Sega, and more faced job cuts in 2023, highlighting a troublesome period for developers.
The impacted developers have already begun their job search, hoping to join another world-class gaming studio.
We hope these layoffs don’t leave a lasting impact on the individuals affected. Since the gaming industry is always looking to recruit new talent, we are hopeful that these people will be able to find employment soon.
PlayStation has yet to comment on these layoffs or confirm the exact number of affected developers. However, we expect more information to emerge over the next few days as more reports come out about the current situation.
Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋
How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔
[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
