Sony has recently conducted layoffs at its Visual Arts studio in San Diego and PS Studios Malaysia, as reported by Kotaku and confirmed by former employees on LinkedIn. According to Kotaku, affected employees were informed that their last day would be March 7. These layoffs impacted developers who had worked on various projects, including a recently canceled live-service game at Bend Studio. Visual Arts, known for providing art and technical support, has notably contributed to projects like The Last of Us Part 1 and 2 remasters in collaboration with other PlayStation first-party studios.
LinkedIn posts from former employees, as highlighted by IGN, confirm layoffs at both Visual Arts and PS Studios Malaysia. One ex-Visual Arts staff member mentioned that the layoffs resulted from "multiple project cancellations."
This marks the second round of layoffs at Visual Arts within two years, following another set of cuts in 2023. The current workforce size and ongoing projects at Visual Arts remain unclear, and IGN has sought further clarification from PlayStation.
These layoffs are part of a broader trend of job cuts and project cancellations across the gaming industry, which began in 2023. That year saw over 10,000 game developers laid off, with the number increasing to more than 14,000 in 2024. In 2025, the trend persists, though exact figures are less clear as fewer studios are disclosing the full extent of the layoffs.
