Sony layoffs reportedly impact 10% of Horizon Forbidden West developer
UPDATE: Insomniac confirms it's also affected.
UPDATE 11.49pm: Following reports Horizon Forbidden West developer Guerrilla Games has cut jobs as part of Sony's decision to lay off 900 workers across its PlayStation teams, Spider-Man studio Insomniac Games has confirmed it's also been affected.
"Like several other teams across SIE and PlayStation Studios," the developer wrote in a statement shared on social media, "Insomniac Games was impacted by yesterday's layoffs. There are no sufficient words to express our feelings about it. This is a solemn and unprecedented moment for our studio."
"We are focusing our energy on helping everyone affected through this challenging time," the studio's statement continued. "For those who are hiring, there are great people seeking new roles who made important contributions to Insomniac's history. We're extremely grateful for them and they will be missed".
ORIGINAL STORY 11.53am: Horizon Forbidden West developer Guerrilla Games is reportedly cutting 10 percent of its staff.
These reductions at the studio come as part of yesterday's announcement that 900 PlayStation employees will lose their jobs across multiple studios and departments. In total, this equates to eight percent of PlayStation's workforce.
According to Dutch newspaper AD (via VGC), Guerilla is set to lay off 40 employees, about 10 percent of its staff. Eurogamer has asked Sony for further comment.
Guerilla was acquired by Sony in 2005. Since then, the studio has become best known for its work on the Horizon series. Last year, the studio released its Burning Shores expansion for Horizon Forbidden West. It also worked alongside Firesprite on the PS VR2 title, Horizon Call of the Mountain.
As for the series' future, Guerrilla confirmed it will be "continuing Horizon for a long while." This will include the upcoming Netflix adaptation, its new co-op-focused online project and a third game focused on Aloy. Additionally, the studio was also rumoured to be working on a remaster of Zero Dawn.
Meanwhile, next month, the Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition will launch on PC. As you might imagine, the Complete Edition (which launched for PlayStation last October) bundles the base game and expansion together, along with a variety of in-game items. These include an exclusive pose and face paint for Photo Mode, plus five items that can be unlocked by progressing through the story: the Carja Behemoth Elite outfit and Short Bow, the Nora Thunder Elite outfit and Sling, the Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike piece, and a resources pack containing ammunition, potions, and travel packs.