PlayStation Dismisses 50 in Mobile Division

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Last week, Sony closed Dark Outlaw Games and laid off staff from its mobile gaming division, signaling a shift away from mobile as a crucial area for the company. Mobilegamer.biz reported that the mobile division was fully shut down, resulting in the dismissal of approximately 50 employees, according to former employees on LinkedIn. To date, Sony has not publicly commented on these layoffs. Sony’s mobile gaming ventures have struggled to produce lasting titles, even when leveraging established properties like Uncharted and Ratchet & Clank. Dark Outlaw Games, formed in 2021 by Blundell, partnered with Sony on an undisclosed project. Dark Outlaw Games, while not owned by PlayStation, closed in 2024, a year after Blundell’s departure. This marked the second unsuccessful collaboration between the companies. These dismissals did not affect MLB The Show Mobile, developed by Sony San Diego, which remains in a limited access phase.

Sony Shifts Strategy, Continues Mobile Game Development while Partnering with NCsoft and NetEase

Sony recently laid off approximately 50 employees from its Studio Business Group, which includes the PlayStation Studios Mobile division, due to strategic changes. However, development on PlayStation Mobile titles like MLB The Show Mobile and Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble will continue as planned. Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble, co-developed with French studio Oh BiBi, is currently seeing downloads in France, Indonesia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Philippines, according to data from Appmagic. In 2022, PlayStation hired multiple mobile game executives with significant experience. Savage Game Studios was renamed Neon Koi, but closed before releasing its AAA mobile live service action game. Olivier Courtemanche became the new head of mobile at PlayStation in October 2024. As part of their ongoing mobile strategy, in November 2023, PlayStation formed a strategic partnership with NCsoft, with the first result being the announcement of the mobile-first MMO Horizon Steel Frontiers, slated for release in November 2025. Furthermore, in collaboration with NetEase, PlayStation brought the Destiny series to mobile with the launch of Destiny: Rising, expected in August 2025.