'It Was Like a Dream Job': PlayStation Veteran Shuhei Yoshida to Leave Sony After 31 Years

PlayStation veteran and games industry legend Shuhei Yoshida announced he was leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), after a 31-year-long career at the company. The Sony executive, who currently heads the independent developer initiative at the company, will depart SIE on January 15, 2025. Yoshida said it was time for him to move on after over three decades at Sony in various roles. The executive joined the Japanese firm when it was still developing the first PlayStation console in 1993 and later served as president of PlayStation Studios until 2019.

Sony's Shuhei Yoshida Announces Retirement

In an interview on the PlayStation Blog Tuesday, Yoshida said he would leave the company next year. “Yes, I have an announcement to make. 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,” he said.

The executive said when he completed 30 years at Sony, he began thinking it was time for him to move on. Yoshida felt that Sony was in a good position and added that he was excited for the future of PlayStation. “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,” he said. “So you know, PlayStation is in really good hands. I thought, okay, this is my time.”

Yoshida joined Sony in 1993 when the company was developing the first PlayStation console. The executive reminisced about the early days of PlayStation, when it was just a department at Sony. The company was working to bring 3D graphics and CD-ROM to its console, while keeping the cost of manufacturing low, Yoshida said in the interaction.

“However, we were not known in the video game industry. And there were other electronics companies, big companies that tried to enter the video game industry and, you know, didn't do well. So at the beginning before the launch of PlayStation, I think we were not taken very seriously from the industry, to be honest,” he said.

The industry veteran later became president of PlayStation Studios in 2008, before stepping down to head the new indies initiative at Sony, where he worked with and supported external independent game developers. In the interview, Yoshida called his current role a “dream job”.

“...when I went to events like E3 or Gamescom, I always went to the indie game area. And I found games that I liked, and oftentimes the developer was there showcasing it. So I'd take a photo with the developer, trying to help promote these games,” he said. “That's what I was doing almost as a hobby when I was managing PlayStation Studios. So when I got this job where I could spend 100% of my time helping indies, it was like a dream job.”