It has been an incredibly tough time for the gaming industry, as there have been thousands of layoffs and several studio closures in 2023 and 2024. The latest studio to fall victim to this sad trend is the Los Angeles-based and PlayStation-backed development studio Deviation Games, which is shutting down.
The reports of the studio’s closure first emerged when employees shared on LinkedIn that the studio had been closed, and the officials at Deviation Games later confirmed this.
PlayStation’s Deviation Games Has Been Shut Down
Shortly after the news of the studio’s closure surfaced on the internet, Deviation’s Chief Human Resources and Operations Officer, Kriste Stull, took to LinkedIn and said that the studio has shut down and that it will soon be hosting a networking event to help its employees that are impacted by the closure.
Stull urged any and all studios and companies that are hiring to participate in the networking event and help out the impacted employees. Here’s what Kriste Skull stated:
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Deviation Games. I want to express my deepest gratitude to our entire team. Thank you for all your hard work, dedication, and contributions to Deviation; I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have worked with each and every one of you.
She further added,
To the entire video game industry, we will be hosting a networking event, and we would love for any/all companies/studios hiring to participate. Please reach out to me directly if you are interested in attending.
Deviation was founded in 2020 by Call of Duty veterans and ex-Treyarch developers Jason Blundell and Dave Anthony. The studio was working on a new unnamed and unannounced AAA IP in partnership with PlayStation, and it was in early development. Since the studio has now closed, it’s sure that the unannounced game will never see the light of day.
PlayStation Recently Shut Down Another Studio
Deviation isn’t the only PlayStation studio to be affected by layoffs, as several other studios, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Firesprite, and Guerrilla, have also seen job cuts. PlayStation recently laid off 900 employees, or 8% of its global workforce, as part of its restructuring plan.
London Studio was also shut down, along with the layoffs across the above-mentioned studios. Some games were also canceled, including an unannounced live-service Twisted Metal game, and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer title.
A large number of people have lost their jobs at companies like PlayStation, EA, Embracer, and many others due to restructuring or in an attempt to cut costs. It is reported that more than 7,500 people have already been laid off in 2024 alone, and nearly 10,500 people are said to have lost their jobs in 2023, which saw a massive boom in job cuts.
What are your thoughts about the closure of Deviation Games? Let us know in the comment section below.
