23 Daily — According to gamesindustry.biz, PlayStation has cancelled the live-service shooter game Fairgames, which was under development by their Montreal-based subsidiary, Haven Studios. PlayStation stated that the Haven Studios team will shift their focus to collaborating with other PlayStation Studios teams and exploring new creative opportunities, without any layoffs resulting from this cancellation.
Development of Fairgames halted after mixed player feedback
An internal email reviewed by Bloomberg revealed that Haven Studios executives Sean Decker and John Doyle informed staff that a recent playtest of Fairgames showed strong operational performance and community engagement, but player feedback and retention fell short of their targets. Combined with challenging market conditions in the competitive PvP shooter genre, PlayStation decided to end development of Fairgames.
Fairgames was Haven Studios' debut title, announced in 2023, initially scheduled for release the previous year and later delayed to spring 2026. Founded by Jade Raymond in 2021, Haven Studios was acquired by PlayStation Studios in 2022. After Raymond’s departure in May 2025, executive producer Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski took over as co-studio heads.
PlayStation adapts its live-service games strategy amid industry challenges
PlayStation has been aggressively pursuing the live-service games market since acquiring Bungie for $3.6 billion in 2022, with plans to launch more than ten such games by 2026. However, several titles have underperformed. In the 2025/26 fiscal year, Sony wrote down $765 million of the Bungie acquisition value.
Earlier in 2026, Bungie laid off 292 employees and ended development on Destiny 2, announcing plans to reinstate vaulted content to rebuild player trust. PlayStation also faced a high-profile failure with Concord in 2024, which was pulled from sale two weeks after release, leading to the closure of Firewalk Studios and Neon Koi. In 2025, two unannounced live-service titles from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games were cancelled; Bluepoint itself was shuttered in 2026, resulting in 70 job losses.
Editor's take: PlayStation recalibrates its live-service game approach
PlayStation Interactive CEO Hideaki Nishino emphasized revitalizing live-service projects by combining first-party and third-party content. He noted live-service games attract global audiences, and PlayStation aims not only to promote new releases but also to refresh older titles in the medium to long term.
Nishino added that live-service gaming is still relatively new, with many experimental approaches underway, making ongoing challenges necessary. For entrepreneurs, this situation highlights that major platforms may pivot strategies without resorting to layoffs amid development setbacks, underscoring the competitive and uncertain nature of PvP shooter markets. Startup teams can utilize player testing and retention metrics to assess product-market fit and adjust their strategies or seek cross-sector collaboration to enhance chances of success.