Shuhei Yoshida will leave PlayStation in January 2025, after more than 30 years at the company.
Yoshida is one of PlayStation's longest-serving employees and, over the decades, has become one of the most memorable faces of the brand.
There was also that time when Yoshida fell asleep while Heavy Rain director David Cage was delivering a monologue about the narrative.
Since 2019, Yoshida has addressed PlayStation's push to encourage independent developers to its platform. In 2023, he was awarded the BAFTA Games Fellowship for his contributions to the industry.
Eurogamer has interviewed Yoshida on numerous occasions over the years, including at EGX 2015, in a talk to celebrate PlayStation's 20th anniversary in the UK. When asked by then-Eurogamer editor-in-chief and now PlayStation colleague Martin Robinson where the company would be in another 20 years, Yoshida said:
“Even when PS4 is doing well, if you look at the sales, the rapid pace of sales of PS4, we may be selling the same people faster, right! It's a sad view of things, but it could be the case”.
“We have to keep working hard to bring back people who used to play console games before the PS2 era, or find new people who will provide great experiences, that people who never had their own consoles can find useful in their lives. “.
The news of Yoshida's retirement has brought well wishes from fans and colleagues across the video game industry.
“Congratulations on an incredible career at PlayStation,” Xbox boss Phil Spencer wrote on X in response to today's news. “You have always been a great supporter of the industry, creators and players. I appreciate the time we have been able to spend talking about video games. Thank you @yosp.”
“It's sad to see you leave Shu, we will miss you!” wrote Guerrilla Games bigwig Mathijs de Jonge. “Thank you for your support and kindness. I wish you all the best in your next dream job! “
In a new interview via the PlayStation blog, Yoshida reflected on his reasons for leaving now, as PlayStation itself celebrates its 30th anniversary next week.
“I've been with PlayStation since the beginning and this is my 31st year with PlayStation,” Yoshida said. “And when I turned 30, I thought, hmm, maybe it's time to move on.
“You know, the company has done very well,” he continued. “I love PS5, I love the games that are coming out on this platform. And we have new generations of managers who I respect and admire. And I am very excited for the future of PlayStation.”