Ghost of Yotei studio Sucker Punch lays off 24, and Boltgun 2's Auroch Digital puts a quarter of its roles at risk

Hit games aren’t protecting anyone right now. Sucker Punch Productions, the Sony-owned studio behind Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yotei, laid off 24 people on Monday, Aftermath reports. Aftermath first put the number at 26 and later corrected it. For a studio with fewer than 200 people, that’s a big chunk of the team.

In an email to staff seen by Aftermath, leadership said: “After carefully observing the challenges in the market and reviewing the team needs for our next project, we’ve decided to make some staffing reductions. Several positions across Sucker Punch will be eliminated as a result.” The note adds, “There’s no getting around that this is a hard day. Next week we will go into more details about the future.”

The timing is rough. Ghost of Yotei sold 3.3 million copies in its first month, and its Echoes of Sekigahara expansion arrived in the Complete Edition just a few weeks ago, as Engadget notes. The cuts also land a little over a week before Sony’s next quarterly earnings report.

Same day, different studio: Over in Bristol, Auroch Digital has started a redundancy consultation affecting “around a quarter of roles at the studio,” per its statement shared by Gematsu. That’s just 12 days after Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 launched on October 14. “Despite that creative success, the same market conditions that have challenged so many of our fellow developers have now also affected us,” the studio wrote.

Because it’s a UK consultation, the final number isn’t settled yet, and Auroch didn’t give a headcount, The Circuitry points out. Support for Boltgun 2 and Warhammer Survivors, which launches November 10, will continue, and the studio asked anyone hiring to “consider finding a place for our staff,” as Insider Gaming reports.

PPR take: Two studios, two well-reviewed games, one bad Monday. Ghost of Yotei was one of PlayStation’s biggest hits and Boltgun 2 reviewed well, and neither was enough. Our best to everyone affected.