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[Update] Sony Confirms Layoffs At London, San Diego Studios
Update: Sony has issued a statement confirming the layoffs at Sony San Diego.
"We can confirm there has been a reduction in headcount at San Diego Studio. The teams working on MLB The Show, Drawn to Death and Guns Up! have not been affected. We continually evaluate teams and programs at SIE Worldwide Studios to ensure we have the proper resources in place to deliver innovative products within a competitive landscape. As projects are completed, it is natural to review and restructure teams around current and future needs. We wish our departing team members success as they pursue new opportunities and we have nothing but heart-felt thanks for their contributions to PlayStation."
Original Story (September 14 2016 @ 04:04 p.m. Central)
Sony London, the studio behind the PlayStation 4 VR exclusive The London Heist, has been hit with layoffs as the game begins wrapping up production.
GamesIndustry.biz confirmed the redundancy and compulsory redundancy layoffs at Sony Interactive Entertainment's London Studio, which is best known for its work on the SingStar series. Sony issued the following statement, citing the layoffs as part of the regular downsizing process many studios take after a game is complete. "Regular reviews take place throughout SIE Worldwide Studios, ensuring that the resources that we have in such a competitive landscape deliver on our strategic objectives in the best way possible."
Sony says the studio will see further layoffs as a result of the restructuring. "We accept that this will mean that we risk losing high calibre staff whose projects have reached completion and where possible, we will try to reallocate people to new projects currently being nurtured. If appropriate opportunities are not possible within the company, we will assist staff in any way we can, including speaking with local employers and with other Development companies."
Meanwhile, there have been early reports that some staff at Sony San Diego have been laid off as well. According to Senior UI designer Noah Watkins, his entire team has been laid off.
— Noah Watkins (@noahwatkins) September 14, 2016
Sony San Diego is best known for the MLB series The Show, and recently Drawn to Death, which is helmed by Twisted Metal and God of War creator David Jaffe.
We have reached out to Sony for comment and will update this story should they provide a statement.
[Sources: GamesIndustry.biz, Twitter]
Our Take
The layoffs at Sony London seem fairly routine; many studios shrink their staff after projects such as The London Heist wrap. The layoffs in San Diego seem a little less routine, however.
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