"Sony's Live Service Struggles Persist: PlayStation Exec Jade Raymond Leaves Fairgames Amid Testing Concerns"

Jade Raymond has departed from Haven Studios, the Sony-owned developer behind the online multiplayer shooter Fairgames. The game's release has been delayed from fall 2025 to spring 2026 following an external test that reportedly didn't meet expectations. This news marks another setback for PlayStation's live service ambitions.

According to Bloomberg, Raymond left the company she founded shortly after the external test of Fairgames. The PlayStation leadership did not provide a specific reason for her departure, but it occurred amidst concerns from some Haven developers about the game's reception and progress. Despite this, Sony continues to support Haven and Fairgames, with new co-studio heads Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski taking the helm.

This development adds to the challenges Sony faces with its live service games. While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 achieved significant 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 low player numbers and ultimately canceled along with its developer.

Sony's difficulties with live service games extend further. The company canceled Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer game and two other unannounced live service titles earlier this year—one a God of War project at Bluepoint and another at Bend, the developer behind Days Gone.

In February 2022, Sony announced plans to launch over 10 live service games by March 2026, aiming to cater to different genres and audiences. The company invested heavily in studio acquisitions, including Destiny developer Bungie, Haven Studios, and the now-closed Firewalk Studios. However, in 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki indicated a shift in strategy, announcing that only six of the 12 live service games in development would be launched by the end of the financial year 2025. Totoki emphasized the importance of quality over quantity, suggesting that the release dates for the remaining six games were still under consideration.

Despite these setbacks, Bungie continues to support Sony's live service efforts with the ongoing Destiny 2 and the upcoming Marathon. Sony also recently announced a new PlayStation studio, teamLFG, working on a live service incubation project, and Guerrilla's Horizon multiplayer game remains in development.