The gaming industry is full of expected twists and turns but no one would’ve expected today’s biggest news, apparently, Shawn Layden, chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios has announced that he is leaving the company after joining in the 1980s.
This news was first revealed in a Twitter post by the official Sony account, which thanked Shawn for everything that he has given to the company.
It is with great emotion that we announce that Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden will be departing SIE. His visionary leadership will be greatly missed. We wish him success in future endeavors and are deeply grateful for his years of service. Thanks for everything, Shawn!
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 30, 2019
As of right now, there is no news as to what led to Shawn leaving Sony abruptly and neither a replacement has been named by Sony.
Shawn has been instrumental in the acquisition of Marvel’s Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games, which has since become the best selling exclusive title of all time for the Japanese giants.
Shawn Layden leaves behind huge shoes to fill and his legacy speaks for the content he has actively taken part to develop over the years. Shawn hasn’t yet revealed what holds for him in the future or will he completely stay out of the video game industry.
With the release of the next-generation console in PS5 not more than a year away, it will be interesting to see how Sony cope up with the loss of someone so influential in the past.
