The layoff storm blowing through the gaming industry is far from over. The latest studio that was impacted is PlayStation Visual Arts. Former employees of the company including Daniel Bellemare, who worked as a Senior Level Designer, have confirmed the layoff through LinkedIn posts.
“Unfortunately, following a wave of layoffs last week was my last at PlayStation,” Bellemare wrote. “While this is certainly not the news I was hoping for, I’m grateful to have had a chance to work amongst extremely talented colleagues on incredible projects and I’m leaving with good memories of my time there.”
Bellemere is based in San Diego and was part of a team working on an unannounced project. However, what is not clear is whether he was based at Sony San Diego or working with PlayStation Visual Arts. Bellemere has worked on AAA titles like Assassin’s Creed and Immortals Fenyx Rising.
Another staff that was affected by the layoff was Matt Barney, a Senior Technical Recruiter at PlayStation. In a LinkedIn post on Saturday, October 21, 2022, Barney mentioned that he saw the layoff coming. Even after being laid off, Barney said his love for PlayStation is unwavering.
“Goodbye PlayStation/Sony Interactive Entertainment, it’s been real!” Barney wrote. “For the past few months, I knew this layoff wave was coming. I love PlayStation & I always will… I mean, I stayed when I had the chance to leave, so obviously!”
ALSO READ: PlayStation Visual Arts Developers Hit By The Sweeping Layoff Wave
Several other developers working with PlayStation Visual Arts have left messages on LinkedIn that confirmed the layoff. Most of them are now open to new roles and seeking support from their network.
“Hey everyone, my contract at PlayStation Visual Arts has unfortunately come to an end,” wrote Last of Us Part 1 rigging artist Sean Teo. “I am currently looking for a new role and I am flexible with working on video games, cinematic files, and commercial work. Any support, connections, or opportunities are greatly appreciated.”
This is the second wave of layoffs at PlayStation Visual Arts this year
This is the third known layoff to hit a PlayStation studio this year. Earlier this month, we learned from the LinkedIn profile of Macauley Hopper, a Production Coordinator at Naughty Dog that there has been a wave of layoffs there.
“My contract at Naughty Dog is coming to an end soon, it has been such an amazing experience being able to work at this amazing studio with this amazing team the past 9 months,” Hopper wrote on LinkedIn.
ALSO READ: Massive Layoff Wind Blows Through Naughty Dog, Epic Games, Others
Earlier in May, John Borba, former Project Coordinator at PlayStation Visual Arts revealed that the group has been hit by layoff due to a large pivot on the AAA multiplayer game it has been working on—which was presumably The Last of Us multiplayer.
“Hey friends and colleagues,” Borba wrote on LinkedIn. “Sadly, due to a large pivot on the AAA multiplayer game I’ve been working on, there was some restructuring within our studio and I was one among the people let go to support the new budgetary needs. Basically, the industry is tightening belts all over the place and I ended up where a lot of folk are right now.”
The worrisome wave of layoffs in the video game industry
PlayStation Visual Arts’ layoff is the latest in the growing and worrisome trend of layoffs in the video game industry. Last week we reported that Zen Studios was hit by layoffs and 32 employees were affected. Zen Studio is one of the Embracer Group-owned studios that was impacted by layoffs.
ALSO READ: Best Video Game Halloween Costumes For 2023
The widespread reports of job losses across the game industry have impacted studios across different countries including Frontier Developments, a Cambridge, UK-based studio. Tomb Raider maker Crystal Dynamics, Pinball FX, and Beamdog, the Knights of the Old Republic remake studio are some of those recently impacted by the layoff.
The wave of layoffs was one of the reasons why developers at CD Projekt Red decided to form a union, a sentiment that has grown stronger in recent months.
But what exactly is responsible for the large wave of layoffs and how can the trend be reversed? If you know the answer, feel free to share it with us in the comment box below.
Remember to share and bookmark this website to stay up to date on all the hottest news in the gaming industry.
