There is no official confirmation yet, but several reports on social media suggest that recent layoffs have occurred at PlayStation, particularly within the software department.
Layoffs Affecting System Software Team
The layoffs seem to be related to the team responsible for system software, meaning it doesn’t appear to affect the PlayStation Studios development teams, based on the current information. However, further clarification may be provided soon.
Most of the recent layoffs have focused on studios directly involved in game development. In this case, it appears to be a downsizing within the team working on the development of the PS5 system software.
Industry Challenges
This is a really hard time for the gaming industry. A person named Ryosuke, who seems to be part of the team affected, shared their story on Mastodon. They said that many members of their team were laid off. Ryosuke talked about how working with Sony and helping to build platforms like PS5, PSVR2, and the PlayStation app was a dream come true. Ryosuke, who works as a software engineer focusing on user interface development, said that this area was especially hit by the recent layoffs.
This is part of a larger trend of challenges in the gaming industry. For example, last year PlayStation closed London Studio, resulting in the layoff of 900 people. Other reductions have occurred at Firesprite and studio closures like Firewalk Studio and Neon Koi.
