Sony’s head of independent development at PlayStation and long-time game development leader for the console maker, Shuhei Yoshida, is retiring after over three decades at the company. He helped produce some of the PlayStation’s earliest hits before moving onto help lead the global platform across multiple console generations.
“Yes, I have an announcement to make,” the Sony veteran said during an interview with the PlayStation Blog on Tuesday. “I’m leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment on January 15 2025… it’s like announcing the launch date of a new game, [something] I haven’t done for a long time [laughs].”
Yoshida’s retirement will mark the second major departure from PlayStation in under a year after previous Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO, Jim Ryan, retired last spring. It will also leave the console maker without one of its most high profile execs and visible faces in the community, with a long track-record of popularity among fans.
“I’ve been with PlayStation from the beginning, and this is my 31st year with PlayStation,” he said. “And when I hit 30 years, I was thinking, hmm, it may be about time for me to move on. You know, the company’s been doing great. I love PS5, I love the games that are coming out on this platform. And we have new generations of management who I respect and admire. And I’m so excited for the future of PlayStation. So you know, PlayStation is in really good hands. I thought, okay, this is my time.”
Yoshida’s announcement comes on the eve of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary on December 3. In addition to the release of a retro-line of PS5 consoles and accessories to celebrate, fans are also wondering if Sony might be teasing additional reveals or even a mini-showcase before the year is out.