Sony's Live-Service Game Status Report -- Canceled, Released, Shut DownA mixed bag of results Like many other companies, PlayStation pushed into the very popular, potentially lucrative, and very competitive, live-service market by making a number of bets, and not all of them have paid off. Most recently, Sony confirmed that it canceled multiple projects, including a live-service God of War and another live-service title from Bend. There have been successes, too, mostly notably Helldivers 2. The game sold more than 12 million copies, ranking as the No. 3 best-selling game of 2024 in the US through November. Sony's multiplayer game Concord, on the other hand, failed to find an audience and was quickly taken offline, with its studio shuttered. In this post, we're rounding up all the multiplayer/live-service games PlayStation has in development and providing a status report on them. This was inspired by Radec on social media , who was first to compile a rundown of Sony's live-service projects and their status. It was reported in 2023 that PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, who left Sony in 2024, had a mandate that Sony's teams should make more games-as-a-service titles . A number of PlayStation developers were reportedly upset with this, and the blame was said to have fallen not on Ryan but Connie Booth, one of the most important and veteran PlayStation developers, leading to her eventual departure. Another former PlayStation boss, Shuhei Yoshida, recently said the chance of finding success in the competitive live-service market was "small," but his replacement, Hermen Hulst, was given the resources to fund both single-player games and live-service titles at the same time. However, had Yoshida stayed in that role, he said he would have "tried to resist" the push into the live-service market. He joked, "That's one of the reasons they removed me." Prior to the cancellation of The Last of Us Online and the live-service God of War most recently, Sony indicated it was pulling back from its ambitious live-service strategy. Back in 2023, Sony management said it would only go ahead with six live-service games in the near future, down from a dozen. At the time, management said it was attempting to focus on quality over quantity. But that's not the end of PlayStation's foray into live-service, so let's take a look at how things have gone so far and where future projects stand. Helldivers 2 One of Sony's most successful live-service games ever, Helldivers 2 launched in early 2024 and became a huge hit right away. It has since sold more than 12 million copies. It's currently the No. 3 best-selling game of 2024 in the US through November , and it's likely to rank inside the top five for all of 2024 when December's data comes out later this month. The game has faced its share of issues, too, as developer Arrowhead was criticized for requiring a PlayStation Account for its Steam release (a decision that was later reversed, though subsequent Sony PC games do require one) and for the way its paid Killzone cosmetics were rolled out. But Helldivers 2 remains very popular and is also getting a Hollywood movie adaptation in the future. Concord Sony's biggest live-service failure, at least among games that have come out, Concord launched in late August 2024 for PS5, but unlike many live-service games, which are free-to-play, it carried a $40 price tag. It drew a generally positive critical response, but it reportedly only sold 25,000 copies . Unsurprisingly, then, Sony shut the game down two weeks after launch. There was a period in which it seemed possible that it would be reworked and relaunched, but instead Sony refunded players and developer Firewalk Studios, which Sony acquired in 2023, was closed. Fairgame$ Former Assassin's Creed boss Jade Raymond's new team, the PlayStation-owned Haven Studios, is making a heist-themed competitive game for PS5 and PC called Fairgame$ (yes, it's really styled that way). Described as a "fresh, modern take on the heist genre," Fairgame$ aims to be a competitive heist game where people steal from the rich to "rebalance the scales." No gameplay footage has been released and there is no word on the launch timing. Horizon multiplayer game and MMO It's been reported that Guerrilla Games is developing a live-service, online game based on its Horizon series. There is basically nothing to go on at this stage, and the game hasn't even been announced. But a report from September 2024 said the game was still going ahead in the wake of Concord's dismal launch and shutdown. Beyond Guerrilla's new game, NCSoft is said to be working on a Horizon MMO in partnership with Sony. This hasn't been officially announced, however, and plans can always change. Bungie games Sony's Bungie studio has a number of live-service projects in the works, including ongoing support for Destiny 2, as well as a new Marathon , an extraction shooter-style revival of its classic FPS series. Beyond that, Bungie's incubation team is working on a genre-mix title reportedly codenamed Gummy Bears . Additionally, in the wake of a massive upheaval at Bungie, a number of staffers shifted to a new team inside Sony that is building a brand-new science-fantasy universe , though whether or not it's a live-service game is unknown. Based on the latest information, all of these projects at Bungie and within SIE continue to go forward. God of War live-service game Most recently, Bloomberg reported that a live-service God of War game at Bluepoint Games had been canceled . Sony confirmed the cancellation to the site but had no other details to share. Many questioned how the God of War series might have translated to live-service/multiplayer, and it seems we won't find out. Bluepoint is best known for its work on various remasters and remakes, typically of single-player games, such as the acclaimed PS5 version of Demon's Souls, so this project marked a departure from the norm. The Last of Us Online In December 2023, Naughty Dog confirmed that it cancelled The Last of Us Online. The company said when it ramped up to full production, it realized the "massive scope" of the company's ambitions made the project unrealistic. Naughty Dog said it made the choice to focus on single-player games instead of live-service games. It now has two single-player games in the works, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and The Last of Us 3 (we think). Bend Studio project Days Gone developer Bend Studio was working on an unannounced live-service project, but Bloomberg reported on January 16 that it was canceled . There isn't anything more to go on, however. Bend Studio hasn't released anything since 2019's Days Gone. Prior to that, it was known for the Syphon Filter series and the Vita entries in the Uncharted series. Deviation Games project Deviation Games, a studio founded by Call of Duty veterans Dave Anthony and Jason Blundell, was shuttered in early 2024 . It was partnered with Sony for a new IP that would have been exclusive to PlayStation, and many guessed that it was going to be a multiplayer/live-service game. Twisted Metal In February 2024, it was reported that UK studio Firesprite was developing a live-service Twisted Metal game, though it wasn't actually greenlit. In any event, the report said whatever was to potentially come of this was no longer moving ahead . Despite the existence of the ongoing Peacock series, the Twisted Metal series has been dormant since 2012's entry on PS3. London Studio Sony's London Studio development team (known for SingStar, EyeToy, and other unconventional PlayStation games) was said to be working on a fantasy co-op live-service game set in an alternate version of London. But it wasn't meant to be. The game was canceled alongside Sony's closure of London Studio as part of Sony's wide cost-cutting program. Spider-Man: The Great Web In 2024, it was reported that Insomniac was working on a Spider-Man live-service project called Spider-Man: The Great Web . A leaked gameplay video showed that teams of five players would have faced off against the Sinister Six in New York City. The game would have incorporated multiverse elements, too, the leak said, and players would have been able to choose from a big roster of Marvel superheroes.
Popular Content
Explore Topic
