2023 has been a challenging year for the gaming industry, with multiple layoffs at several gaming studios. PlayStation Visual Arts has now joined the list of studios facing these problems, becoming the latest studio to be hit with employee layoffs.
This comes from John Borba, a project coordinator at PlayStation who, along with several other employees, was hit with a layoff due to some restructuring within the studio.
Why It Matters: PlayStation has already seen multiple instances of layoffs in the last month at various studios. Layoffs can also be an early sign of a canceled game.
https://twitter.com/bogorad222/status/1662533344272302080?s=20
Borba was working on an unannounced AAA multiplayer game as an Art Outsourcing Coordinator.
According to Borba’s bio, the multiplayer game is described as heavily stylized. Considering Visual Arts collaborates with both PlayStation and third-party studios, there is speculation that it could be the Horizon Multiplayer game.
Recently, PlayStation shut down Pixelopus, the studio behind Concrete Genie. Until recently, the studio was hiring for a new game, but it was likely canceled after the studio was abandoned.
Furthermore, PlayStation partner Deviation Games saw a similar situation, with up to 90 developers being laid off. All of this has led to concerns about rocky management at PlayStation.
It seems like PlayStation’s focus on live-service games and strict bar for quality has led to various changes within the company’s studio. Even PlayStation’s fan-favorite Naughty Dog has faced development hurdles with The Last of Us Multiplayer, with the team scaled down and shifted to other projects within the studio.
Unfortunately, many developers have lost their jobs recently, but they will hopefully be able to find work at other studios soon to utilize their talents and experience for future games.
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