Jade Raymond's departure from Haven Studios, a Sony-owned developer, marks a significant setback for PlayStation's live service ambitions. Raymond, who founded the studio, left shortly after an external test of their game, Fairgames, reportedly received poorly. Originally slated for a fall 2025 release, Fairgames has now been delayed to spring 2026. Sony has not provided a specific reason for Raymond's exit, but it follows concerns among Haven's developers about the game's reception and progress.
Despite this, Sony remains committed to Haven and Fairgames, appointing new co-studio heads Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski to steer the project forward.
This development is another blow to Sony's troubled live service strategy. While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 achieved remarkable success, selling 12 million copies in just 12 weeks, other Sony live service titles have faced significant challenges. Notably, Concord was a major disappointment, lasting only a few weeks before being taken offline due to low player engagement, ultimately leading to its cancellation and the closure of its developer.
Sony's struggles in this area are further highlighted by the cancellation of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer game and two other unannounced live service projects earlier this year—one from Bluepoint, known for its work on a God of War title, and another from Bend Studio, the team behind Days Gone.
In February 2022, Sony announced ambitious plans to launch over 10 live service games by March 2026, aiming to diversify its offerings. To support this initiative, Sony acquired several studios, including Destiny developer Bungie, Haven Studios, and Firewalk Studios, which has since been shuttered.
However, by 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced a strategic review, reducing the number of planned live service game launches to six by the end of the financial year 2025. Totoki emphasized that quality would be paramount, indicating a flexible approach to the remaining six titles' release schedule.
Bungie continues to uphold Sony's live service efforts with the ongoing Destiny 2 and the upcoming Marathon, set for a full launch later this year. Additionally, Sony recently introduced a new studio, teamLFG, working on a live service incubation project, and Guerrilla is developing a multiplayer game set in the Horizon universe.
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