Sony Cancels Fairgames but Strengthens Studio Collaborations
Overview of Fairgames Cancellation
Recent reports indicate that Sony has made the decision to cancel its game Fairgames, a move that will not result in any job losses within the developer team, Haven Studios. This information was revealed through an executive memo, as reported by Bloomberg, highlighting mixed feedback from players during recent testing phases.
The memo noted that “player feedback and retention results were mixed and fell short of the goals we had set,” leading to the cancellation amid “challenging market conditions in the PVP shooter genre.” Haven Studios, which Sony acquired in 2022, will now redirect its efforts to support other PlayStation projects.
Current State of Sony’s Live Service Strategy
In the broader context of its live service strategy, Sony has seen varying degrees of success. Notably, Helldivers 2 has performed well and is available on both PlayStation and Xbox platforms. On the other hand, Bungie’s recent launch of Marathon has experienced challenges; however, the studio is planning a December update to introduce new features, including a cooperative PvE roguelite mode and a PvP deathmatch mode.
Additionally, Sony is actively developing a live service spinoff of the popular Horizon franchise, although this initiative has undergone a recent reboot.
