Sony Interactive Entertainment, home of the behemoth Playstation gaming brand, has announced significant “organisational restructuring” involving around 900 job losses globally, and including “reductions” at Liverpool’s Firesprite Studio and the complete shuttering of the gaming giant’s London Studio.
The 900 total job losses represent about eight per cent of the global Playstation workforce and were confirmed in an email to staff from outgoing Sony Interactive boss Jim Ryan.
Ryan wrote: “We have made the extremely hard decision to announce our plan to commence a reduction of our overall headcount globally by about 8% or about 900 people, subject to local law and consultation processes. Employees across the globe, including our studios, are impacted.”
He went on: “I know that receiving this news will be hard and unsettling and you are wondering what this means for you. Timelines and procedures for how we approach this will vary based on your location due to local laws and regulations.”
Affected employees in the US, he said, would be notified “today” (February 27). Turning to the UK Ryan said:
“In the UK, it is proposed:
- That PlayStation Studios’ London Studio will close in its entirety;
- That there will be reductions in Firesprite studio;
- And that there will be reductions in various functions across SIE in the UK”
Firesprite, which was founded in 2012 by former members of Studio Liverpool and acquired by Sony in 2021, was most recently working on “an ambitious unannounced AAA title.” More than 200 staff are currently employed from its Liverpool HQ.
Prolific North has contacted Firesprite and Sony Interactive for further comment.
