Sony will lay off 900 people, equivalent to eight percent of its workforce. This reduction will see PlayStation Studios' London Studio close completely, in addition to reductions made within Sony's Firesprite studio. There will also be reductions in several roles at SIE in the UK.
in a mail Earlier today, Sony's Jim Ryan said that the company's PlayStation community meant “everything to us” and therefore he felt compelled to share an update on the current situation.
“We have made the extremely difficult decision to announce our plan to begin a reduction of our overall global workforce by approximately eight percent or around 900 people, subject to local laws and consultation processes. Employees across the world, including our studios, are affected,” Ryan wrote.
Newscast: Why are there so many layoffs in the gaming industry?“These are incredibly talented people who have been part of our success and we are very grateful for their contributions. However, the industry has changed immensely and we need to future-proof ourselves to prepare the business for what lies ahead. We need to meet the expectations of developers and players and continue to drive future technology in gaming, so we took a step back to ensure we are prepared to continue providing the best gaming experiences to the community.
“We deeply appreciate the support and understanding of the PlayStation community, as these decisions are very difficult. Please rest assured that our reorganization and optimization plans are so that we can continue to deliver the best gaming experiences possible.”
Ryan shared an email sent to staff today included in his full statement, titled: Important update on organizational restructuring.
This story is developing, there will be more to follow.
