Another Day, Another Layoff – Sony Cuts Staff at Visual Arts and PS Studios Malaysia
Image Credit: Sony
Cuts reportedly hit multiple teams, including developers from a canceled Bend Studios project
Looks like another round of layoffs has hit the gaming industry. This time, Sony’s Visual Arts and PS Studios Malaysia are taking the hit, with reports calling the cuts “widespread.”
According to Kotaku, an unknown number of employees at Visual Arts were informed that their last day would be March 7. Some of these developers were reportedly working on a now-canceled live-service game from Bend Studios—which, let’s be honest, might have dodged a bullet given how live-service games have been going lately.
Over at PS Studios Malaysia, the situation seems just as bad. Former senior project manager Johann Affendy Mahfoor confirmed on LinkedIn that he was among those let go, writing:
“There was a wave of workforce reduction and unfortunately I’m no longer part of the PS brand.”
He also mentioned that high-performing employees and key project members were caught up in the layoffs, which is always a great strategy for long-term success.
Other former employees, Chris Clyde and Lewis Labram, also took to LinkedIn to confirm they were let go. Meanwhile, Riot Games’ R&D senior lead producer Abby LeMaster, who previously worked at Visual Arts, shared that the layoffs included longtime industry experts whose experience will be tough to replace.
Sony hasn’t commented yet, but it’s clear that Visual Arts and PS Studios Malaysia—both known for supporting big PlayStation projects like The Last of Us remasters—are facing major shakeups.
This news follows a growing trend of studio closures and layoffs, with Ballistic Moon, Striking Distance Studios, and Studio Fizbin also making cuts. Seems like a rough year to be in game development—unless you’re in upper management, of course.
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