Ghost of Yōtei’s Success Overshadowed by Studio Layoffs

Sucker Punch Productions, known for titles like Ghost of Yōtei and Ghost of Tsushima, is undergoing a round of layoffs, with reports indicating that 24 employees have been let go. The studio, which had an estimated workforce of around 200 to 230, has seen about 10-12% of its staff affected.

An email from studio leadership addressed the layoffs, stating, “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. 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.”

Ghost of Yōtei, which launched last fall, received acclaim from both critics and players, achieving an 86 Metascore on Metacritic and becoming a contender for various year-end awards in 2025. It won accolades such as Adventure Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Character, and Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition at the DICE Awards in February.

The game’s success translated into impressive sales figures, with estimates suggesting it sold 5.4 million copies and generated over $400 million in revenue by October 2026. Alinea Analytics reported that Ghost of Yōtei was Sony’s top-selling first- or second-party game of the year up to that point, moving 1.1 million copies and bringing in $77.6 million in revenue by June 2026.

Details about Sucker Punch’s next project remain unclear. Since 2020, the studio has focused solely on Ghost titles and their multiplayer components. Prior to that, Sucker Punch was known for the Sly Cooper and Infamous series, with Ghost of Yōtei’s recent expansion being their latest release.

The major ‘reset’ at Xbox continues.