Sony Cuts Jobs at PlayStation Visual Arts Studio

Sony has recently laid off an unknown number of employees from its Visual Arts studio in San Diego and PS Studios Malaysia, according to reports from Kotaku and LinkedIn posts from former employees.

Kotaku revealed that the affected staff were notified earlier this week that their last day would be March 7. The layoffs included developers who had worked on various projects, including a recently canceled live-service game at Bend Studio. Visual Arts, known for its art and technical support, has collaborated with other PlayStation first-party studios on projects like The Last of Us Part 1 and 2 remasters.

Several developers have confirmed their layoffs on LinkedIn, with at least one from PS Studios Malaysia. A former Visual Arts employee mentioned that these layoffs were a result of "multiple project cancellations."

This marks the second round of layoffs at Visual Arts within the past two years, following another wave in 2023. The current status and future projects of Visual Arts remain uncertain. IGN has sought comment from PlayStation.

These layoffs are part of a broader trend in the gaming industry, which has seen significant layoffs and project cancellations since 2023. That year, over 10,000 game developers were reportedly laid off, a number that increased to over 14,000 in 2024. In 2025, the trend persists, though precise figures are harder to come by as more studios choose not to disclose the exact number of affected employees.