Rumors of layoffs at Sony Bend first circulated, and then, a few hours later, the studio confirmed the firings.
Jason Schreier, a Bloomberg editor, was the first to report that Sony Bend had laid off 30% of its employees, about 40 people, after shutting down its live service project earlier this year. Around the same time, another live service game that Bluepoint was working on was canceled. These layoffs may be the result of the project’s cancellation. Schreier added that, since the live service project was shut down, the studio has been working to ramp up a new project.
Sony’s push for live service hasn’t yielded many good results so far, and because of this, Bend Studio has also drawn the short straw. While other PlayStation Studios teams, such as Insomniac and Sucker Punch, have released several games for the PlayStation 5, Sony Bend’s most recent game is Days Gone. It was released for the PlayStation 4 in 2019 and remastered for the PlayStation 5 this year. Several of the studio’s projects have been canceled, making Days Gone the team’s only current-gen title. It’s unfortunate, especially for a studio that was once a key part of PlayStation’s first-party portfolio.
Sony Bend confirmed the layoffs in a statement posted on the studio’s official Twitter account: “Today, we said goodbye to some incredibly talented teammates as we transition to our next project. We’re deeply thankful for their contributions; they’ve shaped who we are, and their impact will always be part of our story. This is a difficult moment for our team, but we have immense respect for everyone who helped us get to this point. As we move forward, we remain committed to building the future of Bend Studio with creativity, passion, and innovation in the titles we craft.”
— Bend Studio (@BendStudio) June 10, 2025
Bend Studio laid off a bunch of people today. I was a part of the layoffs. I did my best. Hopefully I can find a new team to join.
— Robert Morrison (@RobertAnim8er) June 10, 2025
It’s a sad day in Bend. I love this studio, it means so much to me. Hard to put into words when something like this hits your team.
And yes, I am safe. Thank you to those who reached out. ❤️
— Kevin McAllister (@vikingdad278) June 10, 2025
Employees affected by the layoffs have taken to social media to express their disappointment. The layoffs also affected veteran developers on Bend’s team. Among them is Robert Morrison, who has worked in games and animation since the mid-1990s. Before joining Bend, he worked for other PlayStation Studios teams, including Santa Monica and PlayStation Studios Visual Arts. Kevin McAllister, the creative, product, and community lead for Days Gone Remastered, was not affected by the layoffs. However, he confirmed the comments of other Bend Studio staff. He says it’s a sad day. He loves this studio; it means a lot to him, and it’s difficult to express how he feels when something like this happens to the team.
Bend Studio has been in a bad situation since Days Gone.
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