It’s been almost two years since Shawn Layden, a former Sony Worldwide Studios executive, left the company abruptly, announcing it to the world with nothing more than a tweet. Fans have speculated about the reasoning over and over again, but now the man himself has broken his silence. Speaking to Bloomberg, Layden explains that he was running out with the industry at large. “It’s a youthful activity. I heard: this is a good time to put the pin on my legacy.”
He goes on to say that after helping to launch big PS4 exclusives like Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War, he saw the opportunity as the opportunity to get ahead. “It seemed like a good time to move forward and allow another generation to hit the PlayStation 5.” The conversation then turns to rumors about a power struggle between him and current Sony boss Jim Ryan, but Layden did not go into details. “I think I took my time the moment I saw the best to catch him. And I couldn’t be happier.”
So here we go: Shawn Layden says he left Sony because he was consumed by the industry and had a chance to make the most of it after bringing the PS4 to so many hits. PlayStation fans have always kept a weak spot for Shawn Layden since then, and many turned to him on Twitter when they didn’t like the company’s current course. Of course, he shows his gratitude by liking his tweets.