Another wave of layoffs has hit the game developer space, and this time, it's a first-party Sony studio that's been affected. Following a report by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Bend Studio has confirmed that it is letting go of "incredibly talented teammates" as it begins work on a new game project.
"Today, we said goodbye to some incredibly talented teammates as we transition to our next project," said Bend Studio in a social media post today. "We're deeply thankful for their contributions as they've shaped who we are, and their impact will always be part of our story."
Bend Studio is most well-known for its 2019-released open-world zombie adventure Days Gone, which even received a remaster just a few months ago. Prior to that, the studio had been responsible for the classic Syphon Filter series while also developing several PlayStation Portable and Vita games like Resistance: Retribution and Uncharted: Golden Abyss, respectively.
"This is a difficult moment for our team, but we hold immense respect for everyone who got us here," the company added. "As we move forward, we remain committed to building the future of Bend Studio with creativity, passion, and innovation in the titles we craft."
While Sony did not detail just how many staff have been affected by this latest decision, Jason Schreier revealed that 30% of the studio is being laid off. This amounts to around 40 people, according to the reporter.
Earlier this year, Sony canceled two live service games that were in development at Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games. It was never revealed what this mystery game was supposed to be. "Bend and Bluepoint are highly accomplished teams who are valued members of the PlayStation Studios family," Sony said at the time. It's unclear if Bluepoint, which had been developing a God of War live service experience, will soon be hit by its own wave of layoffs too.
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