Sony has laid off about 30% of the workers at Bend Studio, the first-party developer of the PlayStation 4 open-world sport Days Gone. The writer confirmed the layoffs in a press release to GameSpot.
In accordance with Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, about 40 individuals had been laid off from the studio.
In its assertion, Sony additionally confirmed that Bend Studio had been working on a live-service game earlier within the 12 months, however that sport has been canceled and the studio is shifting on to a brand new, unnamed mission.
“Earlier this 12 months, Bend Studio wrapped improvement on a live-service idea,” the assertion reads. “After cautious consideration, we selected to not transfer ahead with it. Because the crew shifts focus to its subsequent mission, we’ve made strategic modifications to raised place the studio for long-term success. As a part of this transition, a workforce discount has taken place on the studio. This resolution was not made evenly, and we’re extraordinarily grateful for the significant contributions of all these impacted. Bend Studio has been a valued a part of PlayStation Studios for many years, and we stay assured in its future and artistic course.”
Sony has canceled a number of video games because it introduced a give attention to creating live-service ideas following its acquisition of Future 2 developer Bungie in 2022. Initially, the writer mentioned it meant to launch 12 live-service games by 2025, however in 2023 narrowed that figure to just six. The Bend layoffs are simply the most recent of many Sony has made in recent times, together with the closing of Firewalk Studios after the launch of live-service first-person shooter Harmony and layoffs at Bungie following its acquisition and the discharge of Future 2’s final main enlargement, The Final Shape.
Additionally amongst current closures was Sony’s London Studio and Deviation Games, each shuttered in 2024. The latter studio was closed earlier than it might ship its first sport, after being based by Name of Responsibility veterans Dave Anthony and Jason Blundell in 2020. Each studios had been reportedly engaged on video games that had been canceled of their closures.
Along with Bend’s canceled sport, Sony reportedly canceled a live-service God of War title, and developer Naughty Dog canceled The Last of Us Online, a brand new multiplayer addition to the favored single-player sequence.
Sony has additionally seen some success within the live-service enviornment, notably with Helldivers 2 from developer Arrowhead Video games, which has sold more than 12 million copies since its 2024 launch.
