Sony’s Third Party Relations Head Leaves Company After Just One Year On The Job

Sometimes a job doesn't last. Either someone doesn't feel like they're a proper fit for the company, or they find a better opportunity, or a number of other reasons. But it's a bit weird that someone that's so new at a role would leave it in such a short amount of time.

That's apparently what happened to Florian Hunziker, who serves as head of Sony's third party developer relations for the PlayStation brand. He took up the job in January 2017, taking over the position from Adam Boyes, who departed to run shop over at Iron Galaxy Studios (the developers behind the fighting game Killer Instinct).

According to GamesBeat, both Hunziker and an inside source confirmed his departure from the company, a bit of a shock considering that many consider PlayStation 4 to be the strongest when it comes to third-party relations.

Hunziker took over for Boyes following his a few years of tenure at Harmonix and creating his own IP start-up, Element Six Entertainment.

While Sony hasn't officially made an announcement regarding his departure, GamesBeat has noted that the move is an amicable parting of ways. It marks the second major departure for the company over the past few months, as Sony exec Andrew House left back in October. Josh (Tsuyoshi) Kodera has since stepped up as his replacement.

It's unknown who Sony will have appointed for a replacement, nor will this have areal effect on the company's relation with key third parties, but it's kind of interesting to see Hunziker depart so shortly after Boyes did, making us wonder what kind of pressure the role of third-party relations really has. Considering the heavy sale base of the PlayStation 4 console (as well as its PlayStation 4 Pro counterpart), it can't be that stressful…can it?

We'll keep you informed if we hear Sony announce anything regarding Hunziker's departure, or who the company could have in mind in terms of a replacement. For now, it appears to be business as usual for the PlayStation brand, but we'll see what kind of an effect a move like this has over the next few months.