PlayStation London Studio has said a heartfelt farewell following the closure of the veteran developer amid significant cuts to Sony’s gaming operations.
In February, Sony announced a significant round of layoffs that would affect approximately 900 staff, or about 8% of PlayStation’s global workforce. The layoffs affect a number of PlayStation studios, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla and Firesprite, but the PlayStation studio in London was hardest hit by the closure notice.
Now the official PlayStation London Studio X/Twitter account has released a statement thanking players for their support:
“For over 20 years, London Studio has been home to some exceptionally talented and amazing people in the games industry. As we close our doors and embark on new adventures, we would like to sincerely thank everyone past and present, the players and colleagues who have supported us over the years. We had a wild and wonderful trip! 👋💙”
For over twenty years, London Studio has been home to some exceptionally talented and amazing people in the games industry. As we close the doors and move on to new adventures, we would like to thank all our past and present, players and colleagues… pic.twitter.com/gXe4MnU6SI
— PlayStation London Studio (@LondonStudioHQ) May 21, 2024
Founded in 2002 following the merger of Psygnosis’ Camden studio and The Getaway developer Team Soho, PlayStation London Studio is perhaps best known for developing the SingStar series and working on experiences for PlayStation peripherals such as the EyeToy camera and the PlayStation VR headset. The studio has canceled a number of high-profile games over the years due to changing demands from parent company Sony, including Eight Days and a sequel to The Getaway. In 2019, it released the exclusive PSVR shooter Blood & Truth. Sony has not yet announced the cancellation of London Studios co-op PlayStation 5 game set in a modern fantasy Londonbut it seems likely.
In a blog post In announcing the cuts, then-Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Jim Ryan released an update on what he called a “difficult day at our company.”
“These are incredibly talented people who have been part of our success, and we are very grateful for their contributions,” said Ryan. “However, the sector has changed enormously and we need to prepare ourselves for the future to prepare the company for what lies ahead. We must meet the expectations of developers and gamers and continue to drive future technology in gaming. That’s why we’ve taken a step back to ensure we can continue to bring the best gaming experiences to the community.”
In a separate one blog post, then-head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst confirmed that some games had been canceled as part of a “reevaluation of how we work” but could not name them. “We have looked at our studios and our portfolio, evaluated projects at various stages of development, and have decided that some of those projects will not move forward,” Hulst said.
“I want to be clear that the decision to stop working on these projects is not a reflection of the talent or passion of team members. Our philosophy has always been to allow for creative experimentation. Sometimes great ideas don’t turn into great games. Sometimes great ideas don’t turn into great games. A project is started with the best intentions, before shifts within the market or industry result in a change of plan.”
Sony’s cuts come during one of the toughest periods the gaming industry has ever faced, with mass layoffs in 2023 and continuing into 2024. Earlier this year, it announced Microsoft has cut 1,900 employees from its video game workforce after its $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty owner Activision Blizzard, then closed Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. IGN recently spoke to developers about these layoffs to try to explain what caused it.
Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.