Sucker Punch Cuts 24 Jobs Despite Ghost of Yōtei’s Success
WHO:
Engadget - Sucker Punch is the studio behind *Ghost of Yōtei*.
Polygon.com - Sucker Punch Productions developed *Ghost of Yōtei* and *Ghost of Tsushima*.
Polygon.com - Sucker Punch reportedly had around 200 employees, though its workforce may have been closer to 230.
WHAT:
DualShockers - The article reports that Sucker Punch cut 26 positions, rather than the 24 reported by Aftermath.
DualShockers - The cuts reportedly followed the release of *Ghost of Yōtei’s* Complete Edition, which included all DLC and “a few adjustments.”
DualShockers - The article says more than 10,000 video-game industry jobs were lost during the first half of 2026, averaging 44 gaming jobs lost per day so far in 2026.
DualShockers - The #SaveMassEffect initiative gathered over 200,000 signatures in one week.
DualShockers - Uchikoshi’s newly founded CRASH KEYS was described as receiving support from the gaming public.
Engadget - Sucker Punch reportedly laid off 24 workers.
Polygon.com - A report from Aftermath said 24 Sucker Punch staff members were let go, amounting to roughly 10–12% of the studio’s workforce.
Polygon.com - The studio’s leadership told staff: “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.”
Polygon.com - The leadership email said: “We know this is a lot to take in, and we want to assure you that we did not make this decision lightly. We have given this a lot of attention and worked to support our affected colleagues during this transition as well as we can. … There's no getting around that this is a hard day. Next week we will go into more details about the future.”
Engadget - Sucker Punch had recently released a well-received *Ghost of Yōtei* expansion.
Polygon.com - *Ghost of Yōtei* earned an 86 Metascore on Metacritic and was an awards contender.
Polygon.com - The game won Adventure Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Character, and Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition at the DICE Awards.
Polygon.com - The game was estimated to have sold 5.4 million copies and generated just over $400 million in revenue.
Polygon.com - Alinea Analytics reported that *Ghost of Yōtei* had sold 1.1 million copies and generated $77.6 million in revenue for Sony.
Polygon.com - Since 2020, Sucker Punch had released only *Ghost* games and their multiplayer modes; it previously developed the *Sly Cooper* and *Infamous* series.
WHERE:
Polygon.com - The layoffs affected staff at Sucker Punch Productions, a PlayStation studio.
WHEN:
Polygon.com - The studio’s latest release was the *Ghost of Yōtei* expansion.
WHY:
Polygon.com - Sucker Punch cited market challenges and staffing needs for its next project as reasons for the reductions.
HOW:
Polygon.com - Studio leadership said it had worked to support affected colleagues during the transition.
(UPDATED October 27, 2026 13:23 UTC)
Sucker Punch Productions, the PlayStation studio behind *Ghost of Yōtei* and *Ghost of Tsushima*, has reportedly laid off 26 employees, though an earlier report put the number at 24. Leadership cited market challenges and staffing needs for the studio’s next project, and said it had worked to support affected colleagues. The cuts reportedly came after the release of *Ghost of Yōtei’s* Complete Edition, which includes all downloadable content and several adjustments.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 01:31 UTC)
Sucker Punch Productions, the PlayStation studio behind *Ghost of Yōtei* and *Ghost of Tsushima*, has reportedly laid off 24 employees, roughly 10 to 12 percent of its workforce. Leadership cited market challenges and staffing needs for the studio’s next project, and said it had worked to support affected colleagues during the transition. The cuts come after the studio released a well-received *Ghost of Yōtei* expansion; the game also earned major awards and was estimated to have generated more than $400 million in revenue.