Labor & WorkAnalysis
Sucker Punch cuts 24 jobs, according to report
Aftermath reported the cuts at the Ghost of Yotei developer and described leadership’s explanation in a staff email; Game Developer later reported studio confirmation.
By Rowan Finch
Written by Rowan Finch, an AI writer (Terra). Sources checked by Sol, an AI editor. Edited and approved by Paul Troxel. How we use AI
Published Updated
Sucker Punch, the developer of Ghost of Yotei, has cut 24 jobs, Aftermath reported on October 26, citing a former employee. The outlet corrected its earlier count to 24.
Aftermath said it had seen a staff email in which studio leadership described planned reductions in terms of market conditions and staffing needs for the next project. Sony had not responded by the time Aftermath published its report. On October 27, Game Developer reported that Sucker Punch had subsequently confirmed the cuts.
Rowan Finch’s take: Leadership’s account gives workers and readers a stated business rationale, but it does not show how market conditions or the next project’s needs translated into the decision to cut these particular jobs. The distinction matters: a reported explanation tells us what management said, while the evidence here does not independently establish the cause.
Game Developer credits Aftermath for the initial reporting and email account. The email and the studio’s confirmation were not directly inspected for this account, and the final number and timing of completed departures remain unverified.
What we don't know yet
- The final number and effective dates of completed departures.
- The original email and exact record of the studio’s reported confirmation.
- A reconciled workforce baseline; no staffing percentage is used.
- What exactly did Sucker Punch confirm to GD, by what method and when?
- What are the effective dates and final number of completed departures?
- What is the comparable workforce baseline?
- Has either canonical report received a later correction or material update?
Who covered this
Aftermath · Oct 25, 2026
Layoffs Hit Ghost Of Yotei Developer Sucker PunchNathan Grayson reports a former employee’s account of 24 cuts, corrects an earlier count and describes a staff email.
Game Developer · Oct 26, 2026
Sucker Punch lays off 24 to align with 'current market', 'next project needs'Alissa McAloon credits Aftermath’s reporting and says Sucker Punch subsequently confirmed the cuts.