The job cuts come in the wake of the programming tools provider SN Systems getting fully integrated into Sony.
The industry-wide layoffs show no signs of stopping, as Sony Interactive Entertainment quietly fires an undisclosed number of PlayStation employees, according to former Senior Design Technologist Oscar Diaz, one of the affected workers.
First spotted by Reddit user IcePopsicleDragon, Oscar Diaz's posts across his social media pages reveal that he and the majority of his team were laid off from PlayStation, with no reason provided for the job cuts.
According to Oscar's LinkedIn and GitHub pages, he was responsible for building tools and processes related to UI/UX, as well as prototyping new experiences across console, VR, and mobile, indicating which department was impacted. Based on the ex-developer's listed residence in San Francisco, it is reasonable to assume that the company's global headquarters in San Mateo was the office affected. At the moment, Oscar appears to be the only developer who has publicly disclosed being laid off, leaving the total number of affected employees unknown.
As always, a studio's refusal to explain its actions fuels speculation, with the community now theorizing why these particular layoffs have taken place. The most likely explanation appears to be the recently announced full integration of SN Systems, a provider of programming tools for PlayStation developers, into SIE – a move made public just a day before Oscar's posts about the layoffs – and given that both Oscar's department and SN Systems specialize in tools development, this theory does indeed sound plausible and may be the reason behind the cuts.
A year ago, in February 2024, Sony also let go of some of its employees, but at least back then, they officially acknowledged it, announcing the termination of 900 workers – roughly 8% of their global workforce – and closing PlayStation London entirely. Following the standard protocol, the layoffs were described as "hard", and the dismissed personnel was "talented", however, it appears their talents were ultimately deemed unnecessary for Sony's mission to "continue bringing the best gaming experiences to the community."
Later in the year, the company also shut down Firewalk Studios – the developer of what was by far the worst AAA game of 2024, Concord – resulting in around 150 developers being laid off.
Despite that (and having Concord of all games in their portfolios), some ex-Firewalk members appear to be doing just fine, with it recently coming to light that Pamela Piscitello, the Director of Marketing and Operations behind the infamous hero-shooter, has landed a job as a Senior Product Marketing Manager on the Halo franchise. Couple this with the previous statements from Will Waltz, a developer who spent over 12 years as 343 Industries' Senior R&D (Principal) Animator, who back in October denounced Halo Studios' executives – particularly Studio Head Pierre Hintze – describing them as "cancer" and "creatively limiting" individuals, and it sure seems like a rough time to be a Halo fan.
