Update: Sony has released a statement on the layoffs affecting Sony San Diego studio, confirming that the MLB: The Show team has been left intact. The layoffs in question were apparently part of a restructuring after the completion of internal projects, but there was nothing in the way of specifics in Sony’s statement.
“We can confirm there has been a reduction in headcount at San Diego Studio,” a representative said in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz. “The team working on MLB The Show have not been affected. We continually evaluate teams and programs at SIE Worldwide Studios to ensure we have the proper resources in place to deliver innovative products within a competitive landscape. As projects are completed, it is natural to review and restructure teams around current and future needs. We wish our departing team members success as they pursue new opportunities and we have nothing but heart-felt thanks for their contributions to PlayStation.”
Original story: MLB: The Show developer Sony San Diego has been hit with layoffs according to reports from those affected.
Noah Watkins, a UI developer at the studio, posted to Twitter that the “entire team” was laid off, implying that Sony may have opted to close the studio after 15 years as a branch of Sony’s Worldwide Studios.
Well… Our entire team was just laid off here at the #playstation studio here in San Diego. Anyone looking for a UI artist/designer?
— Noah Watkins (@noahwatkins) September 14, 2016
While there’s still be no official word from Sony regarding the layoffs, word of this is reaching others in the industry, such as Ryan Palser of Boss Key, who offered his condolences to those affected.
Sympathies to all the Sony San Diego employees today. Sucks.
— Ryan Palser (@RyanPalser) September 14, 2016
Palser went on to say that “all but” the MLB: The Show team was laid off entirely, presumably including the team working on PlayStation 4 exclusive Kill Strain and collaborating with The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency on Drawn to Death. This does contradict Watkins’ original statement that the “entire team” at the studio had been laid off, however.
As of this writing, Sony has yet to publicly acknowledge the layoffs, but posted a job listing for a position based in San Diego, meaning the studio as a whole may still be intact, despite the layoffs.
Should Sony make an official statement about the state of Sony San Diego, we’ll update this story to keep you up to date on the situation.
Sony San Diego was founded in 2001, and made its debut with 2002’s Mark of Kri on PlayStation 2. The studio’s work shifted primarily to the MLB: The Show series in 2006 while also collaborating with other studios to create games like ModNation Racers and Medieval Moves during the PlayStation 3 era.
