Sony Interactive Entertainment appoints Hermen Hulst head of Worldwide Studios; Shuhei Yoshida leads new independent developer initiative

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced the promotion of Guerrilla Games co-founder Hermen Hulst to head of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios. Hulst will manage and lead game development across the 14 studios that form Worldwide Studios.

“Hermen is one of the most effective and well-respected leaders in the video game industry,” said Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO in a press release. “He is a passionate advocate for the teams he leads and understands how to empower creative talent to build great experiences. Worldwide Studios is a critical part of the future success of the company, and we must deliver on the promise we have made to gamers to create imaginative and exciting content that is truly unique to PlayStation. I have no doubt Hermen can lead our teams to deliver compelling and diverse experiences at a steady cadence.”

Hulst added, “I have worked closely with PlayStation and the entire Worldwide Studios family since 2001, and I have the utmost respect and admiration for the creative talent and ambitious ideas within the network of studios across the U.S., Europe, and Japan. I am beyond excited to have the opportunity now to lead such an inspired and talented team whose singular mission is to build amazing games for PlayStation fans.”

Shuhei Yoshida will leave his current position as president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios to become head of a newly formed initiative that will focus on nurturing external independent creators. Yoshida will report directly to Jim Ryan while ensuring external developers have the tools, technology, and services they need to reach PlayStation’s community of users.

Ryan continued, “I am thrilled to announce Shu Yoshida as head of this new initiative. Everybody knows just how passionate Shu is about independent games—they are lifeblood of the industry, making our content portfolio so special for our gamers. These wildly creative experiences deserve focus and a champion like Shu at PlayStation who will ensure the entire SIE organization works together to better engage with independent developers through a culture of supporting and celebrating their contributions to PlayStation platforms.”