Sony has recently laid off an unspecified number of employees from its Visual Arts studio in San Diego and PS Studios Malaysia, according to reports from Kotaku and statements from former employees on LinkedIn.

The affected staff were informed that their last day would be March 7. These layoffs included developers who had worked on various projects, including a recently canceled live-service game at Bend Studio. Visual Arts, known for providing art and technical support, has collaborated with other PlayStation first-party studios, notably on the remasters of The Last of Us Part 1 and 2.

LinkedIn posts from affected developers, as reported by IGN, confirm layoffs at both Visual Arts and PS Studios Malaysia. A former Visual Arts employee mentioned that the layoffs were a result of "multiple project cancellations."

This marks the second round of layoffs at Visual Arts within the last two years, following another wave in 2023. The current status of the studio, including the number of remaining employees and ongoing projects, remains unclear. IGN has sought comment from PlayStation regarding these developments.

These layoffs are part of a broader trend in the gaming industry, which has seen significant job cuts and project cancellations since 2023. That year alone, over 10,000 game developers were laid off, with the number increasing to over 14,000 in 2024. In 2025, the trend persists, though exact figures are harder to come by as more studios choose not to disclose the number of affected employees.