Shuhei Yoshida, former president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, revealed at Australia's 2026 ALT: Games festival that Jim Ryan fired him in 2019 for refusing to follow orders. Yoshida described the dismissal lightheartedly, noting Ryan wanted him out of first-party development because he did not listen. He stayed with Sony in an indie support role until retiring in 2025.
Shuhei Yoshida led Sony's Worldwide Studios for 11 years until 2019, when he was replaced by Guerrilla Games head Hermen Hulst amid executive changes as Jim Ryan assumed leadership ahead of the PlayStation 5 launch. Speaking at the ALT: Games festival over the weekend, as reported by This Week In Video Games, Yoshida recounted his contributions: “I helped Santa Monica to make God of War, Naughty Dog to make Uncharted and The Last of Us, and Sucker Punch to make the beautiful Ghost of Tsushima.” Ghost of Tsushima was among his final projects in the role, he said. “In 2019, after 11 years leading the first-party development, I was fired from the role,” Yoshida stated. “Jim Ryan wanted to remove me from first-party because I didn’t listen to him. He asked to do some ridiculous things, and I said ‘No.’” The comment drew laughter from the audience, delivered with a smile, and Yoshida noted their long history together from the PS1 era, suggesting Ryan preferred not to have a friend as a subordinate. After the change, Yoshida shifted to promoting indie games on PlayStation, a role he enjoyed until his 2025 retirement. He now operates Yosp Inc., consulting for indie developers across platforms including Nintendo, Xbox, and Steam. The shakeup aligned with Ryan's strategy emphasizing live-service games and acquisitions like Bungie, Insomniac Games, and Housemarque, though some efforts faltered, including the shutdown of Firewalk Studios after Concord's quick cancellation. Former chairman Shawn Layden, who left in 2019, similarly cited discomfort with the live-service focus. Ryan departed Sony in March 2024.
