Well, it seems like this one was only a matter of time.
Sony has reportedly canceled long-missing online shooter Fairgame$ after it went missing in the public eye for years, according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, adding to a long list of canceled PlayStation projects this generation.
Schreier said that “a recent test of the game with thousands of players did not deliver on the results PlayStation expected,” according to an internal email sent to employees today.
First revealed at PlayStation Showcase way back in May 2023, the game seemed to be themed around online heist PvP gameplay. But it hasn’t been seen since, and this cancelation comes as little surprise, as rumors about tumult in development have been swirling for some time.
“While the test demonstrated strong operational excellence, live ops readiness and community engagement, player feedback and retention results were mixed and fell short of the goals we had set,” executives Sean Decker and John Doyle said in the memo. “Combined with challenging market conditions in the PVP shooter genre, we have made the difficult decision to cease development on the game.”
Earlier this year, it was reported that Fairgame$ was pivoting away from the “heist” mechanic and instead focusing on the extraction game type, similar to Bungie’s Marathon and Call of Duty’s DMZ. It apparently did not work out.
Fairgame$, developed by Haven Studios, joins a long list of PS5 projects that did not make the cut this generation as Sony incessantly chased live-service success. Concord launched and was quickly shuttered, while The Last of Us Factions, a God of War game, a Spider-Man game, Twisted Metal, and more never saw the light of day from PS5’s games-as-a-service initiative.
According to Schreier, “there will be no job cuts as a result of the cancellation,” and “Haven will instead move to support other studios within the organization.”
