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

Jade Raymond has departed from Haven Studios, the Sony-owned developer behind the online multiplayer shooter Fairgames. This exit comes in the wake of an external test that reportedly did not meet expectations, leading to a delay of the game from its planned fall 2025 release to spring 2026. This development marks another setback for PlayStation's ambitions in the live service gaming sector.

According to Bloomberg, Raymond's departure occurred several weeks after the external test of Fairgames. The reasons for her exit were not disclosed to Haven's staff by PlayStation leadership. Concerns about the game's reception and progress were voiced by some developers at Haven, though they remained anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the information.

Despite these challenges, Sony remains committed to Haven and Fairgames, with new co-studio heads Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski taking the helm.

This news adds to the difficulties Sony has faced with its live service initiatives. 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 significant disappointment, lasting only a few weeks before being taken offline due to low player engagement. Eventually, Sony decided to cancel the game and close its developer.

The failure of Concord followed the cancellation of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer game. Earlier this year, Sony reportedly canceled two other unannounced live service games: one from Bluepoint, which was working on a God of War title, and another from Bend Studio, known for 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, Jade Raymond's Haven Studios, and the now-closed Firewalk Studios.

However, 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 concludes in March 2026. Totoki emphasized that the timing for the remaining six games was still under consideration, stressing that quality should be the top priority for gamers.

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, which is working on a live service incubation project. Guerrilla's Horizon multiplayer game is also in the pipeline, indicating that Sony's commitment to live service gaming remains, albeit with a more cautious approach.