Shawn Layden, Worldwide Studios Chairman for Sony Interactive Entertainment, will be stepping down from his position at SIE, according to a tweet from PlayStation.
At the moment, not much is known beyond this information. It is unknown if Layden will move to another position within Sony, if he will move to another company altogether, or if he plans to retire. It is also currently unknown who will fill Layden’s position.
PlayStation’s tweet can be read here in full:
Layden was in many ways the face of PlayStation, tending to present Sony press conferences at E3 and other conventions since he took the position in 2014.
Layden had been with the company for a long time, starting as a communications assistant in 1987 and working up the ladder as Sony became a more globalized company. He eventually broke into video games with the PlayStation in 1994.
This news follows the departure of former president of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aimé, who left the company roughly five months ago to become a Leader in Residence at Cornell University.
With both Fils-Aimé and Layden gone, only Phil Spencer of Xbox remains of the three industry icons who shared the stage to kick off The Game Awards 2018, less than a year before two would step down from their positions.
Layden is leaving big shoes to fill, as the PlayStation 4 sold 100 million units during his time at SIE. We will continue to cover the company’s and Layden’s future as the story develops.
