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Sony Interactive Entertainment San Diego was hit with a round of layoffs today that saw upwards of 50 people being let go from the studio. In fact, every team except the one working on MLB: The Show were affected by today's layoffs. This information was first brought to light from one of the affected employees that wished to remain anonymous in their disclosure to Polygon.Sony confirmed the layoffs by stating that there was a "reduction in headcount." That actually sounds a lot worse than saying they laid people off.
The anonymous employee said that the team working Kill Strain and one other unannounced project were laid off. It was believed that development on Kill Strain came to an end with this but Sony says that they are "continuing to support Kill Strain." Take that however you want. Sony also said that "the external development team at San Diego Studio has not been affected and Drawn to Death remains in production."
Meanwhile on the other side of the world, layoffs also hit Sony London. The layoffs hit the team that was working on the PlayStation VR exclusive title, London Heist. These layoffs happened right after the game was finished. Sony has once again confirmed these layoffs with the following statement.
"Regular reviews take place throughout SIE Worldwide Studios, ensuring that the resources that we have in such a competitive landscape deliver on our strategic objectives in the best way possible.
"London Studio have done a great job in leading the way in VR development, and as their first project nears completion it is time to plan for the next VR project. The team will take all their learnings and experience as they move forward, however in order to achieve its ambitious goals, the Studio will need to restructure around the needs of the new projects.
"Unfortunately, there will be a number of compulsory redundancies within the London Studio. We accept that this will mean that we risk losing high calibre staff whose projects have reached completion and where possible, we will try to reallocate people to new projects currently being nurtured.
"If appropriate opportunities are not possible within the company, we will assist staff in any way we can, including speaking with local employers and with other Development companies.
"The London Studio has been an important part of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios for over 15 years, and will continue to deliver ground breaking work and innovative titles."
"London Studio have done a great job in leading the way in VR development, and as their first project nears completion it is time to plan for the next VR project. The team will take all their learnings and experience as they move forward, however in order to achieve its ambitious goals, the Studio will need to restructure around the needs of the new projects.
"Unfortunately, there will be a number of compulsory redundancies within the London Studio. We accept that this will mean that we risk losing high calibre staff whose projects have reached completion and where possible, we will try to reallocate people to new projects currently being nurtured.
"If appropriate opportunities are not possible within the company, we will assist staff in any way we can, including speaking with local employers and with other Development companies.
"The London Studio has been an important part of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios for over 15 years, and will continue to deliver ground breaking work and innovative titles."
It is true that layoffs are "common" after a game is completed, so the situation at Sony London isn't completely out of the ordinary at Sony London. The real shocker today concerns the layoffs that hit Sony San Diego. No matter where they were located, we wish the best of luck to those persons that have been impacted by today's layoffs.
