Sony cancels Fairgames after playtest retention falls short
Haven Studios keeps its staff and will support other PlayStation Studios teams while it explores new projects.
Sony has scrapped Fairgames, the multiplayer shooter Haven Studios had been building since its 2023 reveal, according to a Bloomberg report. Executives Sean Decker and John Doyle cited mixed player feedback and retention from a recent large-scale playtest that fell short of targets, combined with a tough market for PvP shooters. Haven's staff will not be laid off; instead the studio will shift to supporting other PlayStation Studios teams and exploring new projects. The cancellation adds to a string of live-service failures for PlayStation, including Concord, which was pulled less than two weeks after launch. Fairgames had lost its founding leader, Jade Raymond, who left in 2025, and this is the first substantive news about the game in over three years.
Why it matters
The cancellation reinforces that PlayStation's live-service bets have struggled, with Concord pulled shortly after launch. For readers following the platform, Fairgames is the latest sign that Sony is pulling back from crowded multiplayer shooter projects, even as it keeps its studio and its people in place.
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