PlayStation has cancelled Fairgames, the multiplayer heist shooter that was announced for PS5 and PC in 2023. The decision ends development on Haven Studios’ first major project under Sony, following a recent playtest that failed to meet the company’s expectations.

The cancellation was first reported by Bloomberg on 10 November, citing an internal email sent to employees by PlayStation Studios executives Sean Decker and John Doyle. A Sony spokesperson also confirmed that Haven Studios will remain part of PlayStation, with no job cuts resulting from the decision.

Playtest results fell short of expectations

According to the internal message reviewed by Bloomberg, a recent playtest involving thousands of players showed positive results for the game’s technical operation and live-service readiness. However, player feedback and retention were mixed and fell short of the targets set by PlayStation.

The executives also pointed to challenging market conditions in the player-versus-player shooter genre as a factor in the decision to stop development.

Fairgames was first revealed during the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase. It was pitched as a competitive heist game in which players joined an underground movement to rob the ultra-rich, with the original announcement promising a sandbox built around planning and pulling off elaborate jobs.

Despite its initial reveal, PlayStation shared very little about the game afterwards. No release date was ever announced, and the project never received a public gameplay showcase.

Haven Studios will support other PlayStation teams

While the cancellation brings Fairgames to an end, Haven Studios itself is not closing. Sony told Bloomberg that there will be no job cuts as a result of the decision and that the Montreal-based studio will shift its focus to collaborating with other development teams across PlayStation Studios, while exploring new creative opportunities.

Haven was founded in 2021 by industry veteran Jade Raymond and acquired by Sony in 2022. Fairgames was intended to be the studio’s first original release as part of PlayStation Studios.

Another change to PlayStation’s live-service plans

The cancellation is another setback for PlayStation’s push into live-service games. The company has previously cancelled several multiplayer projects, while Concord was taken offline shortly after its 2024 launch. Other live-service releases, including Helldivers 2, have shown that the strategy can still succeed, but Fairgames will now join the list of projects that never made it to players.

For PS5 and PC players, the practical takeaway is simple: Fairgames will not be released. Haven’s next role within PlayStation Studios has not yet been detailed.

Source

Gematsu, reporting on Bloomberg’s story and Sony’s response · VGC report