Ghost of Yōtei Developer Sucker Punch Faces Layoffs
Sucker Punch Productions, the developers behind Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yōtei, are facing a round of layoffs despite the studio’s ongoing success. According to an initial report from Aftermath, 26 staff members have been let go, according to a former Sucker Punch employee.
Cuts Even During Success
Despite Ghost of Yōtei’s recent success, Sucker Punch Productions is now facing layoffs as the studio prepares for its next project. The game has reportedly sold around 5.4 million copies as of October 2026, with some estimates putting its revenue at over $400 million.
Sony previously reported that Ghost of Yōtei exceeded Ghost of Tsushima’s sales over the same period and significantly contributed to the company’s quarterly results. However, Sony hasn’t officially confirmed the exact sales and revenue figures.
Sucker Punch reportedly has around 229 employees, meaning these layoffs affect roughly 11% of the studio’s workforce.
An email sent to staff, obtained by Aftermath, reads:
“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.”
”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.”
It’s not yet clear what Sucker Punch’s next project will be. Since Ghost of Tsushima launched in 2020, the studio has primarily focused on the Ghost series, with Ghost of Yōtei continuing that tradition.
Perhaps these layoffs will mark a shift toward a new franchise, or even a return to one of the studio’s older series. Personally, I’d love to see Infamous make a comeback, or even Sly Cooper. For now, though, we’ll have to wait and see what the studio has planned.