Sony Lays Off 30% of Days Gone Developers at Bend Studios, Cutting Around 40 Employees

On June 10, PlayStation Studios hosted another round of layoffs - this time they touched upon Bend Studios, known for Days Gone. Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier was the first to report this, after which Sony has officially confirmed the information, commenting on the situation to the Kotaku portal. According to sources, about 30% of the staff - approximately 40 employees, including former Days Gone developers.

The letters notifying of termination of employment were sent out on the same day. Bend Studio bids farewell to fired staff in public, thanking them on social media for their contribution to the development of the team and projects. The statement emphasizes that the studio continues to work on a new project and will rely on "creativity and passion" in further development. It is not formally specified who exactly was affected by the cuts, but it concerns both the technical and creative staff.

It is known that after the release of Days Gone, the studio began developing a game-as-a-service that was later cancelled. The team is currently working on a new single-player project, details about which are lacking. Days Gone, despite its controversial launch, eventually gained recognition from players and received a port to PC. The layoffs affected those who were involved in the creation of this project., which is causing concern in the community.

This restructuring is part of a general wave of layoffs within Sony Interactive Entertainment, which has already affected other studios. Neither Bend nor Sony have said how exactly this will affect the pace and scope of ongoing development.