Jade Raymond Leaves Fairgames Amid Sony's Ongoing Live Service Challenges

Jade Raymond has departed from Haven Studios, the Sony-owned developer behind the online multiplayer shooter Fairgames. This departure comes in the wake of an external test that did not meet expectations, leading to a delay of the game from its planned fall 2025 release to spring 2026. According to Bloomberg, PlayStation leadership did not provide a specific reason for Raymond's exit, which occurred several weeks after the test. Some developers at Haven expressed concerns about the game's reception and its development progress.

Despite these challenges, 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 difficulties Sony is facing with its live service strategy. While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 achieved significant success, selling 12 million copies in just 12 weeks and becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game, other live service efforts have faltered. Sony's Concord, for example, was a major disappointment, lasting only a few weeks before being taken offline due to low player engagement and ultimately canceled along with its developer.

Sony's struggles with live service games continued with the cancellation of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer project and two other unannounced titles, one from Bluepoint and another from Bend Studio. In February 2022, Sony announced ambitious plans to launch over 10 live service games by March 2026, aiming to cater to different genres and audiences. The company made significant investments in studio acquisitions, including Bungie, Haven Studios, and the now-closed Firewalk Studios.

In 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, or March 2026. Totoki emphasized that the focus would be on quality over quantity, stating, "It's not that we stick to certain titles, but for the gamers quality should be the most important."

Amid these challenges, Bungie continues to support Sony's live service efforts with the ongoing Destiny 2 and the upcoming full launch of Marathon later this year. Sony also announced a new PlayStation studio called teamLFG and teased its debut live service incubation project. Additionally, Guerrilla's Horizon multiplayer game remains in development.