PlayStation-Owned Studio Accused of Having a 'Toxic Culture'

Sony-owned developer Firesprite is being accused of toxicity and discrimination, while suffering from a significant loss of talent. News of these accusations follows Sony's massive job cuts earlier this week, which saw roughly 900 employees lose their jobs, including some working at Firesprite.

Firesprite worked on a few PlayStation exclusives, including LittleBigPlanet spin-off Run Sackboy Run, before being acquired by Sony in 2021. Now, the studio is best known for its VR titles, most notably Horizon Call of the Wild. Firesprite was caught up in a wider spending spree by Sony, during a period of significant growth for the gaming and tech giant. The Sony buyout resulted in major structural and leadership changes within the studio, which some employees have cited as reasons why the company's culture has taken a turn for the worse. At the same time, some employees on Glassdoor have argued in support of Sony's takeover, stating that it has helped the studio run more efficiently and effectively.

Either way, it would seem that the culture at the ostensible up-and-comer Firesprite has some major issues, according to accusations from current and former employees. As reported by Eurogamer, leaders from XDev, a Sony support studio assigned to help lead Firesprite following the 2021 purchase, have allegedly been engaging in sex-based discrimination and ageism, although an internal investigation from Sony apparently determined that these claims stemmed from a «misunderstanding.» Aside from these particularly severe accusations, XDev leadership has been accused of fostering a culture of bullying and fear, turning Firesprite into an unsympathetic and stress-inducing workplace. Notably, an «alarming» number of employees left Firesprite last year, following the payout of a retention bonus.

The past few weeks have been difficult for PlayStation, as Sony's stock has plummeted following adjusted sales projections and disappointing profit margins. Additionally, the company's reputation