Sony Lays Off Unknown Number of Workers at PlayStation Visual Arts Studio

Sony has reportedly laid off an unspecified number of employees from its San Diego-based Visual Arts studio and PS Studios Malaysia. This news comes from a Kotaku report and LinkedIn posts by former employees. Affected staff were informed their last day would be March 7th. The layoffs included developers who worked on various projects, including a recently canceled live-service game at Bend Studio.

Visual Arts, a support studio providing art and technical assistance, has collaborated extensively with PlayStation's first-party studios, notably on the The Last of Us Part I and Part II remasters. Multiple LinkedIn profiles confirm layoffs at Visual Arts, with at least one reported from PS Studios Malaysia. One former Visual Arts employee attributed the layoffs to "multiple project cancellations."

This marks the second round of layoffs at Visual Arts in two years, following an earlier, undisclosed number of job cuts in 2023. The current size of Visual Arts' remaining workforce and its ongoing projects remain unclear. IGN has contacted PlayStation for comment.

These layoffs reflect a broader trend in the games industry. Layoffs and project cancellations have been prevalent since 2023, with estimates exceeding 10,000 job losses that year, rising to over 14,000 in 2024. While the trend continues in 2025, precise figures are less readily available due to decreased reporting transparency from affected studios.