Horizon Zero Dawns managing director is now in charge of Sony studios everywhere

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Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios has a new boss, and if you’ve ever played Horizon Zero Dawn (opens in new tab) or the Killzone games, you’re already familiar with his work. PlayStation announced today that Guerrilla Games managing director Hermen Hulst has taken on the position of leadership over Sony’s internal game development studios. Former SIEWS head Shuhei Yoshida is taking on a new role at PlayStation that will focus on collaborating with external, independent developers.

On top of his own studio’s output, Hulst was also involved with the development of Death Stranding (opens in new tab) – Kojima Productions collaborated regularly with Guerrilla Games as Death Stranding was built on the latter studio’s Decima Engine (which also powered Horizon Zero Dawn). PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan explained why Hulst was chosen for the leadership role in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz (opens in new tab).

“Hermen is one of the most effective and well-respected leaders in the video game industry,” Ryan said. “He is a passionate advocate for the teams he leads and understands how to empower creative talent to build great experiences. I have no doubt Hermen can lead our teams to deliver compelling and diverse experiences at a steady cadence.”

Hulst has worked with Worldwide Studios since 2001 and helped create some of PlayStation’s biggest games, but he still has a big role to fill. Yoshida’s been a charismatic leader for Sony’s internal studios since 2008, endearing himself to the developer and player communities alike with appearances on big event stages and frequent interactions with game creators of all stripes. Still, it seems to line up well with Yoshida’s current interests.

“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,” Ryan said.

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