Sony has reportedly laid off an undisclosed number of employees from its San Diego-based Visual Arts Studio and PlayStation Studios Malaysia, as indicated by a Kotaku report and LinkedIn posts from affected staff.
Citing sources, Kotaku revealed employees received notice earlier this week that March 7 would mark their final workday. Those impacted included developers involved in various projects, including a shelved live-service title from Bend Studio. Visual Arts operates as an art and technical support division that collaborates with PlayStation's first-party studios, having played significant roles in recent projects like The Last of Us Part 1 and Part 2 remasters.
IGN verified multiple LinkedIn posts from developers confirming their termination from Visual Arts, plus at least one case from PlayStation Studios Malaysia. A former Visual Arts employee attributed the cuts to "multiple canceled projects."
This marks Visual Arts' second workforce reduction in two years, following similar undisclosed layoffs in 2023. Neither the studio's current headcount nor active projects have been confirmed. IGN has contacted PlayStation for clarification.
These cuts continue an industry-wide pattern of layoffs and canceled projects that began in 2023, when estimates exceeded 10,000 developer job losses. The number surpassed 14,000 in 2024, with the trend persisting in 2025—though current figures remain uncertain as more studios opt against disclosing specific impacts.
