27 February 2024 , 13:38
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Sony is axing 900 PlayStation employees and is set to close its London studio.
The layoffs are part of the company's plan to reduce its global workforce by 8%. Jim Ryan, President & CEO, of Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the news on his X - formerly Twitter - account this afternoon after sending an email out to Sony and PlayStation staff.
The statement confirmed that all Sony staff across the globe would be impacted by the cuts. In the UK, PlayStation's London Studio will be closed and there will also be layoffs at Sony’s Firesprite studio in Liverpool. The statement said: "“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 ready ourselves to set the business up for what lies ahead."
Alongside the official statement, Jim Ryan published the email he sent out to staff this morning which said “tough decisions have become inevitable”. However, due to UK laws the proposed mass layoffs require a consultation and the PlayStation boss said that this would happen "before any final decisions are taken". Those who will be impacted by the consultation process will be told the next steps later today.
The email continued: "This will not be easy, and I am aware of the impact it will have on wellbeing. Affected employees will receive support, including severance benefits. While these are challenging times, it is not indicative of a lack of strength of our company, our brand, or our industry. Our goal is to remain agile and adaptable and to continue to focus on delivering the best gaming experiences possible now and in the future.
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“Thank you for your understanding during this difficult period. Please be kind to yourselves and to each other.”
Jim Ryan's X post also noted that he - and he alone - decided to cut staff adding: "Please note that despite what you can read below, nobody in the top level management is to blame for this but me. And my reasons were, I didn't want to leave alone".
Going forward, Sony said it needed to deliver on its "expectations from developers and gamers and continue to propel future technology in gaming" and would be "streamlining its resources" in order to do this.