Sony IE lays off 900 people, including at the Dutch Guerrilla Games department

Sony's PlayStation Interactive Entertainment division is laying off 8 percent of its workforce globally, amounting to around 900 people. The London Studio is closing completely and the Dutch Guerrilla Games, owned by Sony, is also being laid off.

Layoffs are happening on all continents, Sony says. In Europe, this includes the London Studio and the British Firesprite, which worked on Horizon Call of the Mountain for the PlayStation VR2. Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst says that in the US, Naughty Dog will be affected, among others. There are also layoffs at unnamed studios, but these probably involve fewer people. Sony does not report how many Dutch and Belgian employees are included in the layoffs.

Director Jim Ryan says in a memo to employees that intervention became necessary due to the economic circumstances and the changing gaming market. “We had to take a step back, look at our business as a whole and focus on the long-term sustainability of the business and delivering the best possible experiences for our community. The goal is to streamline our resources to ensure ensure we remain successful and able to deliver experiences that gamers and creators have come to expect from us. While these are challenging times, this does not indicate a lack of strength in our company, brand or industry.”