If it wasn’t bad enough that Epic Games laid off more than 1,000 employees today, Sony is allegedly shutting down Dark Outlaw Games, headed by Jason Blundell of Call of Duty Zombies fame. And yes, this is the same studio that the publisher founded one year ago after the closure of Deviation Games, the last studio that Blundell had co-founded, in 2024.
Unfortunately, that’s not all. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier notes that cuts are incoming for mobile development, with “around” 50 employees laid off. A Resetera member posted about all this and claimed that previously announced titles, including MLB The Show Mobile, Ratchet and Clank: Ranger Rumble, and more, would still be supported. However, the company is seemingly focused on a “few select high-impact projects.”
While they didn’t cite a source, Schreier chimed in on that thread to simply reply, “Yep.”
Of course, all of this coincides with PlayStation allegedly ending its release of first-party single-player games on PC, including Ghost of Yōtei. It’s expected to be formally announced during an investor call, although Housemarque may also confirm this if asked whether Saros is coming to PC. Either way, Sony is seemingly taking a conservative approach, even if it’s not giving up the live service approach entirely, as seen with Horizon Hunters Gathering and the continued existence of Fairgame$.
It’s always tough to hear about layoffs and shifts in the gaming industry. Changes like these can significantly impact both developers and players. Let’s hope for the best for everyone affected and look forward to what Sony has planned next.
Absolutely, it’s a challenging time for many in the industry. It’s interesting to consider how Sony’s move away from mobile development might affect their overall strategy in the gaming market, especially with the growing popularity of mobile gaming. It’ll be intriguing to see what new directions they take next!