PlayStation first-party studio Media Molecule, known for their popular games LittleBigPlanet and Dreams, is reportedly planning to lay off around 20 employees. The news was revealed during an internal meeting held today at the studio, according to a report from Sports Illustrated's GLHF.

The layoffs at Media Molecule are expected to reduce the team staff by 15 to 20%, resulting in a headcount reduction from 135 to 115, as reported by GLHF. The report does not provide a specific reason for the layoffs beyond staff reduction. Game Informer has reached out to PlayStation for confirmation of the layoffs, clarification on the reasons behind them, and information regarding potential severance for affected employees.

Media Molecule, originally an independent studio, was acquired by PlayStation in 2010. They have gained recognition for their acclaimed titles including LittleBigPlanet, LittleBigPlanet 2, Tearaway, and Dreams. In recent years, the studio's creativity and unique gameplay experiences have been highly regarded among players.

These reported layoffs at Media Molecule add to the growing list of staff reductions affecting game development studios in 2023, a milestone year in the gaming industry with numerous highly anticipated releases. In January, Microsoft laid off a significant number of employees during its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Striking Distance Studios and BioWare also made staff cuts in August, followed by Ascendant Studios in September.

More recently, Naughty Dog, the developer of The Last of Us, and Telltale Games have announced layoffs, further impacting the industry. The exact number of employees affected by these recent developments is yet to be disclosed.

In light of these layoffs, the Game Informer staff expresses their solidarity with all those affected by the job cuts and extends their best wishes to the remaining employees at Media Molecule.