PlayStation London Studio has bid a fond farewell following the closure of the veteran developer due to significant cuts in Sony’s gaming business.
In February, Sony announced a major round of layoffs affecting around 900 employees, 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 London PlayStation studio was hit hardest 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 wonderful people in the games industry. As we close the doors and all embark on new adventures, we would like to say a big thank you to all of our past and present 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 wonderful people in the games industry. As we close the doors and all look forward to new adventures, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our players and colleagues, past and present… pic.twitter.com/gXe4MnU6SI
— PlayStation London Studio (@LondonStudioHQ) May 21, 2024
Formed in 2002 from 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 known as the PlayStation VR headset. The studio has had to cancel a number of high-profile games over the years as the needs of parent company Sony changed, including Eight Days and a sequel to The Getaway. In 2019, the exclusive PSVR shooter Blood & Truth was released. Sony has not yet announced the cancellation of London Studios Co-op game for PlayStation 5 set in a modern fantasy Londonbut it seems likely.
In one blog entry When Jim Ryan, then outgoing Sony Interactive Entertainment boss, announced the cuts, he described 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 industry has changed enormously and we must prepare for the future to prepare the company for what lies ahead.” We must meet the expectations of developers and gamers and continue to advance future gaming technologies. That’s why we’ve taken a step back to ensure we can continue to deliver the best gaming experiences to the community.”
In a separate one blog entryThe head of PlayStation Studios at the time, Hermen Hulst, confirmed that some games had been canceled as part of a “reassessment of how we work,” but did not name them. “We looked at our studios and our portfolio, evaluated projects in various stages of development and came to the conclusion that some of these projects will not move forward,” Hulst said.
“I want to be clear that the decision to stop work on these projects is not a reflection of the talent or passion of the team members. Our philosophy has always been to enable creative experimentation. Sometimes great ideas don’t make great games. Sometimes.” “A project is started with the best of intentions before changes within the market or industry result in a change of plans.”
Sony’s cuts come during one of the most difficult times the gaming industry has ever seen, with mass layoffs throughout 2023 and into 2024. Earlier this year Microsoft has laid off a staggering 1,900 people from its video game workforce following the $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty owner Activision Blizzard and subsequent closure of Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. IGN recently spoke to developers about these layoffs to try to explain what caused it.
Photo credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.