Shuhei Yoshida has revealed why former Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan removed him as head of PlayStation first-party studios.
At the 2026 edition of Australian games festival ALT: GAMES (via This Week In Video Games), former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida revealed that he was removed from his role as head of PlayStation first-party studios after refusing to comply with certain directives from then Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan. He also reflected on his long tenure at PlayStation, where he spent over three decades overseeing some of the platform’s most successful franchises.
During his time leading Sony Worldwide Studios, now known as PlayStation Studios, Yoshida worked closely with teams behind major titles such as God of War, Uncharted, The Last of Us, and Ghost of Tsushima. The latter, he noted, was among the final projects he oversaw in that position. Describing the circumstances surrounding his departure from the role in 2019, he said, “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.’”
At the time, Sony Interactive Entertainment publicly termed the transition as a move into a newly created role focused on supporting independent developers, while Hermen Hulst stepped in to lead the Worldwide Studios. Yoshida acknowledged the complexity of the situation, noting his long-standing relationship with Ryan, whom he had known since the early PlayStation days. “You don’t want to have one of your friends as one of your subordinates,” he remarked. Regardless, Yoshida spoke positively about his subsequent position as Head of PlayStation Indies. He explained that the move aligned with his long-standing passion for indie games, saying he “really enjoyed the role of promoting and evangelizing indie games.”
Yoshida ultimately departed Sony Interactive Entertainment in January, 2025, after 31 years with the company. He has since launched his own consulting firm, continuing to work with indie developers and publishers. His appearance at ALT: GAMES focused on what makes indie titles successful, offering insights drawn from both his corporate experience and his more recent work supporting independent creators.
