Following a Twitter post from the official PlayStation account, it has been announced that Sony Interactive Entertainment's Chairman for Worldwide Studios, Shawn Layden, is leaving the company. Layden has been a staple of Sony and PlayStation for many years now, his time as Chairman for Worldwide Studios seeing him become a fixture of Sony’s E3 showcases and become one of the company’s most prominent spokesmen.
The tweet sharing Shawn Layden’s departure cites that “It is with great emotion that we announce that Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden will be departing SIE." The PlayStation account continues, stating "we wish him success in future endeavors and are deeply grateful for his years of service." As of yet, no reason has been released for Layden’s sudden departure from the company, but Sony's tweet implies the company and Layden parted ways in good faith.
For those who are unaware of Shawn Layden’s prominence within Sony, he has been with the industry giant ever since 1987, where he joined as part of its corporate communications department. In 2007, he became president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, before moving on to become a founding member and vice president of Sony Network Entertainment International in 2010. He eventually took over from Jack Tretton as president of Sony Computer Entertainment America in 2014, before moving to his now-former role as Interactive Entertainment Chairman for Worldwide Studios in 2018.
Layden’s career has been a long and storied one, seeing him rise the ranks and become one of Sony’s most influential and important figures. Over his tenure, he’s shared the stage with Phil Spencer and Reggie Fils-Aimé at the game awards, hosted many of Sony’s recent E3 events and overseen the release of some of PlayStation’s biggest recent releases. His time working with Sony has transformed him into one of the company’s most endearing and likeable public figures, and he’s sure to be missed moving forward.
His work as Interactive Entertainment Chairman for Worldwide Studios consisted of aiding Sony’s biggest and brightest first-party studios to produce major exclusives for the console, seeing him work alongside the likes of Sony Santa Monica, Guerilla Games and the newly acquired Insomniac Games. During his tenure in the position, he oversaw the production of God Of War, Days Gone, Marvel’s Spider-Man and many of the console’s other major exclusives. Although it’s sad Layden won’t be coming along for the next step in PlayStation’s journey, his storied career means he’s sure to find success wherever his career takes him next.