PlayStation layoffs confirmed to have impacted Insomniac Games, the studio behind Marvel's Spider-Man
Great responsibility
Insomniac Games has announced that it is also being affected by layoffs at Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and PlayStation Studios.
In an announcement on Twitter / X, Insomniac stated: "Like several other teams across SIE and PlayStation Studios, Insomniac Games was impacted by yesterday's layoffs. There are no sufficient words to express our feelings about it. This is a solemn and unprecedented moment for our studio."
Insomniac continued: "We are focusing our energy on helping everyone affected through this challenging time. For those who are hiring, there are great people seeking new roles who made important contributions to Insomniac's history. We're extremely grateful for them and they will be missed."
pic.twitter.com/B0AloBRyy5February 28, 2024
Insomniac's announcement comes as a result of planned layoffs across SIE and PlayStation Studios.
Earlier this week, PlayStation announced plans to close its London studio and lay off roughly 900 staff. According to SIE president and CEO Jim Ryan, this is set to affect "employees across the globe." This all comes as a "plan to commence a reduction of our overall headcount globally by about 8 [percent] or about 900 people," the CEO continued.
In addition to job losses at Insomniac, there will be "reductions" at Firesprite studio, the co-developers of Horizon Call of the Mountain.
Insomniac's most recent release, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, was well-received by fans and critics, including our own editor-in-chief Jake Tucker who praised how the open-world adventure game "prioritizes fun above all else" and gave the game four stars out of five.
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Spider-Man 2's mammoth $300 budget raised plenty of questions about the sustainability of Sony's business practices (via Forbes). It would appear that these chickens have finally come home to roost. However, as usual, it looks as though it's employees, not executives, who are paying the price.
2024 has already been an extremely tough year for the games industry, with layoffs also occurring at Supermassive Games, Visual Concepts Austin, Embracer Group, and Activision Blizzard - and that's just this month.
Increasing unsustainability in the games industry is playing havoc with the lives of employees. We sincerely hope that those affected are able to land on their feet.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is one of the best PS5 games out there as well as one of the best PS5 exclusives.
An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.