PlayStation has been hit with more layoffs from its Visual Arts studio, following the recent cancellations of multiple live-service games.
The layoffs come amid a restructuring of Sony’s US studios, as an unknown number of staff from the San Diego-based Visual Arts studio will be let go this week.
Visual Arts supported first-party development (including Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us remasters), and while these new cuts include staff who contributed to the recently cancelled live-service game from Bend Studio among others, Kotaku has reported the layoffs are more widespread.
Eurogamer has contacted Sony for further details on these layoffs.
The news follows several cancelled projects from Sony, including a live-service game from Days Gone developer Bend and another from Bluepoint reportedly based within the God of War series.
Moreover, Sony cancelled live-service shooter Concord back in September, admitting “our initial launch didn’t land”. A month later, it shut down developer Firewalk Studios as the game would remain permanently offline.
This time last year, Sony laid off 900 staff equating eight percent of its workforce. The reductions were predominantly due to the closure of its London Studio and reductions at Firesprite.
On the flipside, Sony still has its Horizon live-service game in development, which has now added former Bungie senior design lead Chris Proctor to its team as a design director. At Bungie, his focus was on Destiny 2’s weapons.