The recent layoffs at PlayStation have taken a toll on one of the brand’s historic studios. Before the team finally leaves, the team speaks.
It’s not a great time to work in the video game industry these days. The last few months have been among the most terrible for thousands of developers and various employees who have been laid off, even though the industry is in great shape and manufacturers and publishers alike are raking in money that, for the majority, they no longer know about. The layoffs were so big that they caused the demise of a PlayStation studio that had been established for decades, and with it the next PS5 exclusive studio that should have been more experimental.
A closed PlayStation studio, goodbye to this PS5 exclusive
PlayStation’s restructuring caused significant damage and resulted in the loss of 900 jobs worldwide. This did not affect individual professional groups, but rather a whole range. And no studio, even the most prestigious, was spared, as Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games, which released the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 PS5 box, had to say goodbye to some employees. But the situation is even worse for SIE London Studio, which learned of its closure without notice. The company name may not be as popular as the two previously mentioned, but it was still a pillar of PlayStation history.
The EyeToy, Singstar, The Getaway or even the excellent Blood & Truth on PSVR, they are! Suffice to say, barring any (very) big surprises, we’ll definitely have to give up on Blood & Truth on PSVR2. Before PlayStation London Studio can no longer interact with PS5 players, it has left one final message:
For over twenty years, London Studio has been home to exceptional talent and wonderful people in the games industry. As we close our doors and head off to new adventures, we would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years. It’s been an exciting and fantastic adventure!
PlayStation London Studio was working on a very ambitious PS5 game for them, which would obviously have been a fantasy action game set in an unrecognizable London, complete with dragons. A title that would have been playable in online co-op.
