Retiring PlayStation Boss Shuhei Yoshida Reveals His 'Next Move'

Key Takeaways

After 30+ years at PlayStation, Yoshida plans to venture into voice acting for video games.
Yoshida, a key figure in promoting indie games, was previously featured as a playable character in a game.
Fans eagerly anticipate seeing Yoshida in a future role, reflecting his lasting impact on the game industry.

Shuhei Yoshida, one of the oldest and highly celebrated PlayStation execs, has shed light on his interest in becoming a voice actor, once his tenure at the console giant is over. The popular PlayStation official is set to step down from his position on January 15, 2025, after more than 30 years of service.

Earlier this week, Head of Indies Initiative Yoshida announced that he was set to bring his illustrious career at Sony to a close early next year. His decision not only sparked tributes from PlayStation fans and gamers in general but also from several industry leads, including Xbox-parent Microsoft Gaming’s Phil Spencer. From being an early recruit on the original PlayStation team to a long-serving former PlayStation Studios president, Yoshida contributed to the company in different capacities over the years and left an indelible mark on its history. A major highlight of his time at Sony involves his role in promoting indie games, especially near the final years of his three-decade-long career.

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Recently, Shuhei Yoshida shared what’s next for him in his career on Twitter. Replying to an indie studio’s appreciation post, he revealed that his “next move” would be partaking in “something like voice acting” in a video game. With this, the PlayStation bigwig effectively confirmed his inclination towards continuing in the game industry with his future gigs. So it won’t be surprising if, a few years down the line, fans see him join the craft that has been popularized by some prolific performers, such as Nathan Drake’s voice artist Nolan North and Troy Baker of The Last of Us fame. Responding to Yoshida’s announcement post, several fans voiced their excitement to see him begin his voice acting journey, with one of them saying, “(It) would be awesome to see you in a role in any game.”

Yoshida Gives a Glimpse of His Future Plans, Could Mark the Second Time He is Featured in a Game

While doing voice acting in a game would be a first for Yoshida, it won’t be his debut as an in-game character. That’s because the PlayStation indies head was previously featured in 2014’s Super Time Force Ultra as a playable character in the PS4 and PS Vita versions. Amusingly, the side-scrolling shooter game gives a nod to Yoshida’s active Twitter use through his in-game character’s ability to shoot tweets and “likes” at enemies. However, it’s been over a decade since that game came out and, hence, the idea of the Japanese game industry icon featuring in a future game is exciting to fans.

Yoshida handed over the reins of PlayStation Studios to Herman Hulst, former head of Horizon developer Guerrilla Games, way back in 2019. With the veteran now set to relinquish control of the indies division, it will be interesting to see who takes over that responsibility and succeeds Yoshida in his final role at Sony.