Bend video game developer reportedly lays off 40

Bend Studio, which makes games for Sony’s video game platforms in central Oregon, laid off nearly a third of its staff Tuesday,

according to a report from Bloomberg

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier

wrote on social media

that the cuts totaled approximately 40 people. He noted that Bend Studio

canceled a live-service game in January

. Live service games add features after their initial release, charging fees for access to the updates.

Bend Studio is a subsidiary of Sony, which acknowledged the layoffs in a brief statement but did not confirm the number of positions it eliminated. Sony said it cut jobs as Bend Studio transitions to the next project after the canceled live service game.

“Bend Studio has been a valued part of PlayStation Studios for decades, and we remain confident in its future and creative direction,” said Aram Jabbari, spokesperson for Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The firm, based in Bend’s Old Mill District, has been developing video games since 1993. It says online that it employs more than 100 people.

The studio made Days Gone, an open-world zombie survival game that debuted in 2019 on Sony’s PlayStation 4 and featured Oregon landscapes and landmarks, including Crater Lake.