Home > News > PlayStation's Jade Raymond Leaves Fairgames Amid Sony's Live Service Challenges

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

May 25,25(10 months ago)

Jade Raymond's departure from Haven Studios, a Sony-owned developer, marks another setback for PlayStation's live service ambitions. Raymond left the studio she founded shortly after an external test of their online multiplayer shooter, Fairgames, which did not meet expectations. Originally slated for a fall 2025 release, Fairgames has now been delayed to spring 2026. PlayStation leadership has not provided a public reason for Raymond's exit, but it followed concerns among some Haven developers about the game's reception and progress.

Despite this, Sony remains committed to Haven and Fairgames, with new co-studio heads Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski taking over.

Sony's broader live service strategy continues to face challenges. While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 achieved remarkable success, selling 12 million copies in just 12 weeks and becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, other projects 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 in the live service space extend further. Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer game was canceled, and earlier this year, Sony reportedly axed two unannounced live service titles, one from Bluepoint working on a God of War project, and another from Bend, the studio behind Days Gone.

In February 2022, Sony announced plans to launch over 10 live service games by March 2026, aiming to diversify its offerings across different genres and audiences. The company invested heavily in studio acquisitions, including Destiny developer Bungie, Jade Raymond's Haven Studios, and Firewalk Studios, which has since been shut down.

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, which is March 2026. Totoki emphasized that Sony's focus remains on delivering quality to gamers, indicating flexibility in their release schedule for the remaining six titles.

Bungie continues to support Sony's live service efforts with the ongoing Destiny 2 and the upcoming full launch of Marathon later this year. Additionally, Sony recently unveiled a new PlayStation studio, teamLFG, working on a live service incubation project, and Guerrilla’s Horizon multiplayer game remains in development.

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