Japanese technology giant Sony is laying off around 900 employees from its PlayStation division — a nearly 8 per cent workforce reduction – as the company said on Tuesday that this decision was “extremely difficult but necessary”.

Sony Interactive Entertainment said in a statement that the US-based studios and groups impacted by a reduction in workforce are Insomniac Games, Naughty Dog, as well as its technology, creative, and support teams.

In UK and European based studios, “it is proposed that PlayStation Studios’ London Studio will close in its entirety and there will be reductions in Guerrilla and Firesprite”.

These are in addition to some smaller reductions in other teams across PlayStation Studios.