Update:

According to GamesIndustry.biz , Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia president Atsushi Morita also retired yesterday, the same days as SIE Worldwide Chairman Shawn Layden. Morita's successor has not been named, but SIE deputy president and CFO Kazuhiko Takeda has taken on some of Morita's corporate director duties.

Morita worked as head of Sony's mobile-focused subsidiary ForwardWorks, and was previously VP of administration and control. The reason behind Morita's retirement are unclear.Original Story Follows:

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The official PlayStation Twitter account has just announced that Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden will be leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment. Layden has been with Sony since 1987.PlayStation announced Layden's departure via a Tweet . "It is with great emotion that we announce that Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden will be departing SIE. His visionary leadership will be greatly missed," the Twitter account writes. "We wish him success in future endeavors and are deeply grateful for his years of service. Thanks for everything, Shawn!"Layden joined Sony as part of its corporate communications department in 1987. Layden later became president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan in October 2007 before becoming a founding member and Vice President of Sony Network Entertainment International in 2010. In 2014, Layden succeeded Jack Tretton as president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America.In 2018, Layden was made the chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios. Under Layden's tenure as chairman, PlayStation released several critically-acclaimed games from its first-party Worldwide Studios including God of War Spider-Man , and Horizon: Zero Dawn Sony Worldwide Studios comprises Sony's first-party PlayStation developers. This includes studios like Guerrilla Games, Naughty Dog, Santa Monica Studio, Sucker Punch, and most recently Insomniac Games . There are currently 14 Worldwide Studios developers, but Sony CEO Jim Ryan suggested that the company is considering more studio acquisitions ahead of the PlayStation 5 IGN has reached out to Sony for more information about Layden's departure.

Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC)