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

Sony has recently laid off an unspecified number of employees from its Visual Arts studio in San Diego and PS Studios Malaysia, according to a report by Kotaku and statements from former employees on LinkedIn.

According to Kotaku, 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 providing art and technical support, has collaborated with other PlayStation first-party studios, notably on the remasters of The Last of Us Part 1 and 2.

IGN has confirmed through LinkedIn posts that several developers from Visual Arts, along with at least one from PS Studios Malaysia, have been laid off. A former Visual Arts employee mentioned that the layoffs were a result of "multiple project cancellations."

This marks the second round of layoffs at Visual Arts within the last two years, following another wave in 2023 that also affected an unknown number of employees. It remains unclear how many staff members are currently at Visual Arts or what projects the studio is currently involved in. IGN has sought comment from PlayStation.

These layoffs are part of a broader trend of job cuts and project cancellations within the gaming industry that started in 2023. That year alone saw over 10,000 game developers laid off, a number that increased to over 14,000 in 2024. In 2025, the trend has persisted, though exact figures are less clear as more studios are opting not to disclose the full extent of their layoffs.