Former PlayStation Exec Voice Acting in New Game

nFormer PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida has been revealed to be one of the voice actors in the forthcoming indie game Promise Mascot Agency. The news comes on the heels of the PlayStation veteran leaving parent company Sony on January 15, 2025, after a tenure of 31 years.

For longtime fans, Shuhei Yoshida is a name that has been perennially associated with PlayStation, thanks to the various ways in which he contributed to the brand over his decades-long stay. Starting out at Sony in 1993, a year before the launch of the first PlayStation, Yoshida worked at the console giant in multiple important roles at different stages of his career, from leading SIE Worldwide Studios (later renamed as PlayStation Studios) for over 10 years to championing indie games as the head of PlayStation Indies in his final stint beginning in 2019. After announcing his decision to retire in November 2024, the PlayStation legend had expressed an interest in pursuing voice acting in games. It now turns out that Yoshida has promptly done just that.

In a new trailer, Promise Mascot Agency recently revealed that Yoshida has lent his voice to one of its characters, MonouGe, a gaming enthusiast and arcade owner. The gaming industry icon plays a character described as “a perfect fit for him” by the devs. Apart from Yoshida, Promise Mascot Agency also features a few other prominent names in gaming in its voice acting cast. Takaya Kuroda, the voice behind Like a Dragon series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, plays the role of the main playable character, Michi. Additionally, Deadly Premonition director Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro takes on the mantle of Kannushi-kun in the game; Purah’s voice actor from the latest Legend of Zelda games, Ayano Shibuya, plays Pinky; and Eri Saito of Chainsaw Man fame voices Matriarch Shimazu.

Ex-PlayStation Chief Turns Voice Actor for New Indie Game

After last appearing as a Super Time Force Ultra playable character in 2014, Shuhei Yoshida is set to expand his video game credits with a voice acting role in Promise Mascot Agency, scheduled to arrive in 2025. The open-world narrative adventure game takes players to a cursed town where they can recruit mascots, train them, and complete various tasks with them in order to become the country’s best agency. Developed by British studio Kaizen Game Works, Promise Mascot Agency is slated for release on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.

Bearing in mind Yoshida’s self-professed love for indie games, it is no surprise that his role after leaving PlayStation has to do with an independently developed title. What’s worth keeping an eye on next is how Sony will oversee its indie games division after the Japanese veteran’s departure, with key initiatives like PlayStation’s Hero Project still active in multiple regions around the world.