PlayStation's Visual Arts Studio Faces Mass Layoffs amid Industry Cutbacks

Wave of layoffs hits supporting developer for major PlayStation franchises, marking second round for Visual Arts studio after a previous series in May; extent of job losses remains unclear.

PlayStation's support studio, Visual Arts, which has been involved with major PlayStation franchises since 2007, is facing a wave of layoffs. The studio was previously involved in assisting the development of popular titles such as The Last of Us and Spider-Man.
Notable participants in the layoffs include senior level designer Daniel Bellemare and senior technical recruiter Matt Barney. Both expressed a sentiment of gratitude and love for PlayStation, despite the unfortunate circumstances.
The San Diego-based Visual Arts studio was given lead development roles in projects such as the remake for Naughty Dog's The Last of Us. After several staff departures and Naughty Dog taking over the project, Visual Arts returned to its supporting role.
Visual Arts previously faced layoffs in May as part of a 'restructuring within the studio', according to former project coordinator John Borba. The extent of the present layoffs remains unclear.
Simultaneously, Naughty Dog, another PlayStation Studio, was reported to be planning layoffs of around two dozen contract developers at the end of October. The connection, if any, between these layoffs and Visual Arts' situation is unknown.