Sony Cancels Live-Service Shooter Fairgames, No Layoffs Planned

Sony has canceled Fairgames, a live-service shooter announced in 2023, according to Bloomberg. The game was in development at Haven Studios in Montreal, which Sony acquired in 2022. No one at Haven will be laid off, and the studio will support other Sony Interactive Entertainment-owned studios, according to the report.

Cancellation and Playtest Feedback

The game was canceled following a recent playtest. Executives Sean Decker and John Doyle said in an internal email reviewed by Bloomberg: "While the test demonstrated strong operational excellence, live ops readiness and community engagement, player feedback and retention results were mixed and fell short of the goals we had set." The memo also cited "challenging market conditions in the PVP shooter genre."

Sony's Live-Service Push

Fairgames was part of Sony's broader push into live-service games. The company has canceled other planned live-service titles, including projects in the God of War and The Last of Us franchises, and shut down Concord shortly after its failed launch. Sony's live-service efforts have seen some success with Helldivers 2. Bungie's Marathon launched this year and has had a rough start, with new features planned for a December update. Sony is also working on a live-service Horizon spinoff, which was recently rebooted.

Why it matters

• Sony canceled Fairgames after mixed playtest feedback and retention results.
• Haven Studios will support other PlayStation projects with no job cuts.
• The cancellation is part of Sony's wider pullback from planned live-service games.
• Helldivers 2 remains a live-service success for Sony, while Concord was shut down after launch.

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Sources

• polygon.com: PlayStation Officially Cancels Live-service Shooter Fairgames
• gamespot.com: Sony Cancels Live-Service PS5 Game Fairgames, But No Layoffs - GameSpot
• theverge.com: Sony cancels live-service shooter Fairgames | The Verge

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.