Sony's Bend Studio announces layoffs: Read what the company said

Sony's Bend Studio, the acclaimed developer behind popular titles like Days Gone and the Syphon Filter series, has announced fresh round of layoffs. The company is reportedly undergone substantial layoffs, with approximately 30% of its staff impacted. This move comes after the cancellation of an unannounced live-service game that the studio had been developing. Bend Studio had been working on an unannounced live-service game, which was scrapped earlier this year. The studio is now focusing on a new, unnamed project, though details remain scarce.

Bend Studio layoffs: Here’s what the company said

Bend Studio confirmed the layoffs in a statement, acknowledging that Bend Studio had been working on a live-service concept earlier this year but decided "not to move forward with it" after careful consideration. The company stated that these "strategic changes" are being made to "better position the studio for long-term success" as the team shifts focus to its next project.

“Today, we said goodbye to some incredibly talented teammates as we transition to our next project. We’re deeply thankful for their contributions as they’ve shaped who we are, and their impact will always be part of our story.

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This a difficult moment for our team, but we hold immense respect for everyone who got us here. As we move forward, we remain committed to building the future of bend Studio with creativity, passion, and innovation in the titles we craft,” reads the statement posted by the company on X.

This round of layoffs at Bend Studio is the latest in a series of workforce reductions across PlayStation's first-party developers. Sony has been making significant strategic adjustments to its live-service game ambitions, which initially aimed for a large number of releases by 2025. Several live-service projects, including a God of War multiplayer title at Bluepoint Games and The Last of Us Online from Naughty Dog, have reportedly been canceled or shelved.