Sony has cancelled Fairgame$, Haven Studios’ competitive heist shooter, according to Rock Paper Shotgun’s account of Bloomberg’s reporting. The game was announced in 2023 for PC and PlayStation. Source
No job cuts are planned as a result of this cancellation, Rock Paper Shotgun reports, citing Bloomberg. The game is being shelved, not the studio. Source
In the Sony statement reproduced by Rock Paper Shotgun, the company said:
“The studio will shift its focus to collaborating with other development teams across PlayStation Studios, while also exploring new creative opportunities” Source
Readiness wasn’t enough
Rock Paper Shotgun says Bloomberg saw a note sent to Haven developers by executives Sean Decker and John Doyle following a recent test. The note praised “strong operational excellence, live ops readiness and community engagement,” but said “player feedback and retention results were mixed and fell short of the goals we had set.” Source
Being ready to operate a live service and getting players to keep coming back are, awkwardly, different jobs. Source
The executives also cited challenging conditions in the player-versus-player shooter market as part of their explanation for stopping development. Rock Paper Shotgun doesn’t give numerical retention results or the internal targets the test missed. Source
A CGI trailer and multiple reworks
Fairgame$’s pitch involved teams breaking into locations and stealing cargo while contending with security and rival players, according to Rock Paper Shotgun. The outlet says only a CGI trailer had been shown, with no formal gameplay reveal. Plenty of heist setup, then, without a public look at the job itself. Source
Rock Paper Shotgun also relays Bloomberg’s reporting that the game had been reworked multiple times and was due to be revealed again under a new name. Source
Comments