Sony Studios Face Pressure and Layoffs Amid Rising Costs and Sales Success
Sony-owned studios, including Insomniac, were reportedly pressured to make staff cuts due to increasing development costs. Hackers who breached Insomniac released 1.67 terabytes of data, including upcoming game Marvel's Wolverine and Insomniac's release slate up to the early 2030s. Meeting notes revealed plans for studio closures and budget cuts, with Insomniac discussing strategic layoffs and replacing staff with team members from other projects. Sony has called for staff cuts across its first-party studios, and leaked documents highlight the growing development costs of Insomniac's games. The leaked data sheds light on the precarious nature of triple-A game production, with experts calling it unsustainable. The industry has seen significant layoffs this year, and Sony's live service ambitions have faced setbacks. The company is reviewing its live service games and has already canceled The Last of Us multiplayer game. Sony's focus on cutting spending may result in scaled-back teams and layoffs for game developers.
