Jade Raymond's departure from Haven Studios, the Sony-owned developer behind the online multiplayer shooter Fairgames, marks another setback for PlayStation's live service ambitions. Following an external test that reportedly did not meet expectations, Fairgames' release has been delayed from fall 2025 to spring 2026.
According to Bloomberg, Raymond left the studio she founded several weeks after the disappointing test. PlayStation leadership did not provide a reason for her exit, but some Haven developers expressed concerns about the game's reception and progress. Despite this, Sony remains committed to Haven and Fairgames, with Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski stepping in as new co-studio heads.
This development adds to the challenges Sony faces in its live service gaming strategy. While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 achieved remarkable success, selling 12 million copies in just 12 weeks and becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, other live service titles have struggled. Sony's Concord, for instance, was a major disappointment, lasting only a few weeks before being taken offline due to extremely low player engagement. Ultimately, Sony decided to cancel Concord and shut down its developer.
The Concord failure followed the cancellation of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer game. Earlier this year, Sony reportedly canceled two more unannounced live service projects: a God of War game at Bluepoint and another at Days Gone developer Bend.
In February 2022, Sony announced plans to launch over 10 live service games by March 2026, aiming to cater to different genres and audiences. To support this initiative, Sony acquired several studios, including Destiny developer Bungie, Jade Raymond's Haven Studios, and the now-closed Firewalk Studios.
However, by 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced a review of the 12 live service games in development, committing to launch only six by the end of the financial year 2025 (March 2026). Totoki emphasized that quality should be the top priority for gamers, indicating flexibility in the release schedule for the remaining six games.
Bungie continues to lead Sony's live service efforts with Destiny 2 and the upcoming full launch of Marathon later this year. Sony also recently introduced a new PlayStation studio called teamLFG, which is working on a live service incubation project. Additionally, Guerrilla's Horizon multiplayer game remains in development.
