PlayStation mobile division hit by layoffs as strategy sustainability questioned
Summary
PlayStation's Studio Business Group cut ~50 staff, including roles in its PlayStation Studios Mobile division
One affected staffer claimed PlayStation Studios Mobile closed entirely - Sony has not confirmed or denied this
Two mobile titles in soft launch (MLB The Show Mobile, Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble) are confirmed to continue development
The cuts mark another setback for PlayStation's once-ambitious mobile push, which started with aggressive 2022 growth targets
"Sony Interactive Entertainment's Studio Business Group has made several strategic adjustments to support long-term sustainability."
01
Layoffs hit PlayStation mobile - full division closure unconfirmed
~50 staff cut across PlayStation's Studio Business Group, with PlayStation Studios Mobile among the affected teams
One impacted employee claimed on LinkedIn that PlayStation Studios Mobile shut down entirely
Sony declined to clarify which teams or games were affected
Most senior PlayStation Mobile staff still show active employment on LinkedIn, making a full closure unconfirmed
02
Two soft-launch titles confirmed to continue development
MLB The Show Mobile is in soft launch on iOS and Android, registering downloads in Philippines, Colombia, Australia and Dominican Republic (Appmagic)
Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble quietly entered soft launch in November 2025, developed with French studio Oh BiBi and Insomniac Games
Ranger Rumble is picking up downloads in France, Indonesia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Philippines
03
PlayStation's mobile ambitions have been shrinking since 2022
In 2022, PlayStation announced plans to release 20% of its first-party games on mobile by 2025 and hired heavily in mobile
Savage Game Studios was acquired in summer 2022 to anchor a "AAA mobile live service action game" - the studio was closed in October 2024 before shipping anything
The studio was renamed Neon Koi in November 2023 after its original leadership departed, then shuttered a year later
PlayStation appointed Olivier Courtemanche (ex-EA, Disney, Meta, Zynga) as dedicated head of mobile in November 2024
04
Third-party partnerships now carry PlayStation's mobile pipeline
A strategic partnership with NCsoft (signed November 2023) produced mobile-first MMO Horizon Steel Frontiers, announced November 2025
PlayStation partnered with NetEase to bring Destiny to mobile, launching Destiny: Rising in August 2025
The shift toward external partners suggests PlayStation is pulling back from building in-house mobile capability
05
What to watch next
PlayStation's mobile strategy appears to be pivoting away from first-party studio builds toward co-development and licensing partnerships
Whether MLB The Show Mobile and Ranger Rumble reach global launch will be a key test of how committed PlayStation remains to the mobile space
Courtemanche's direction as mobile lead will define if a leaner, partner-driven model replaces the original aggressive in-house growth plan
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