“Yes, I have something to announce,” the Sony veteran said in an interview with the PlayStation Blog on Tuesday. “On January 15, 2025, I’m leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment… it’s like announcing the release date of a new game, which is (something) I haven’t done in a long time (laughter).” The industry veteran said that while he’ll not work at Sony, he still plans to work in games in some capability in the long run.

During the interview, Yoshida talked about what it was like firstly of the PS1 era and the way he tried to persuade publishers and studios to take the chance of developing games for Sony’s first console. An executive producer of early games akin to C i, he later took on management positions across the business group, eventually becoming president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide studios.

He told the PlayStation Podcast that its 2012 release on PS3 as an indie downloadable hit that won Game of the Year was the highlight of his profession. “But this game… (won) Game of the Year against all these AAA titles, I think for the first time in the industry… creator Jenova Chen gave a speech at the summit and mentioned a letter he received from a girl who lost her father, thought of him and she could move on with her life,” Yoshida said. “The entire audience stood up and the entire room was filled with happiness and the incredible feeling that this little game could have such a big impact on people’s lives.”

The executive was also well known for his own development experience and design sense. At one key moment during documentary about the making of films from 2018 Yoshida’s harsh criticism of the in-development version of the game becomes a watershed moment for the now highly acclaimed reboot. He ultimately stepped down as head of Worldwide studios in 2019, when, amid changes in PlayStation management, he was replaced by then-head of Guerrilla Games, Hermen Hulst. Hulst is now co-CEO of PlayStation alongside Hideaki Nishino.

Yoshida’s announcement marks the second major departure from PlayStation in less than a year, after previous Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan retired last spring. It will also leave the console manufacturer without one of the most famous executives and visible faces in the community, with a long history of popularity among fans. He is probably best known for his role in the infamous 22-second clip from E3 2013 demonstrating how games are made available on PS4, which marked the beginning of Sony’s current dominance of high-end consoles.

“I have been with PlayStation since the beginning and this is my 31st year with PlayStation,” he said. “And when I turned 30, I thought, hmm, maybe it’s time for me to move on. You know, the company is doing great. I love PS5, I love the games that come out on this platform. We also have new generations of managers whom I respect and admire. I’m very excited about the future of PlayStation. So, you know, PlayStation is in really good hands. I thought, OK, this is my time.

Yoshida’s announcement comes on the eve of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary on December 3. In addition to releasing a line of retro-style PS5 consoles and accessories for the occasion, fans are also wondering if Sony will be announcing additional reveals or even a mini-show before the year’s launch.

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