PlayStation Has Reportedly Canceled 2 Live-Service Games

A reliable source reports that PlayStation has canceled two upcoming live-service games from its first-party portfolio. The cancelations affect Bluepoint Games and Bend Studio, and lend further credence to the notion that PlayStation might be scaling down its live-service ambitions.

Sony had grand aspirations for PlayStation’s live-service initiative at the onset of the PS5 generation. Back in 2022, the company was planning to release at least 10 live-service PlayStation games by 2026. However, this target began shrinking as the years went by, with several delays and cancelations hitting PlayStation’s first-party studios. The most notorious of these cancelations was Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Online live-service project, which ended development in late 2023. Live-service projects from other PlayStation studios like Firesprite, London Studio, Insomniac Games, Bungie, etc. were also axed.

A few months after the gargantuan failure of Concord, PlayStation’s live-service venture has taken another major hit. Reputable industry insider Jason Schreier recently penned a Bloomberg report claiming that PlayStation has canceled two more live-service games, which was later confirmed by a company spokesperson. One of these canceled projects is the unannounced open-world action game by Bend Studio, the developer of 2019’s Days Gone. The team first confirmed that it was developing this brand-new IP in June 2022, and some recent leaks revealed that Bend Studio was working on a third-person military shooter.

Every Canceled PlayStation Live-Service Game So Far

• Bend Studio: Open-world military shooter
• Bluepoint Games: God of War live-service game
• Bungie: Third person Destiny spin-off codenamed Payback
• Firesprite: Twisted Metal live-service game
• Firewalk Studios: Concord (shut down two weeks after launch and studio closed)
• Insomniac Games: Spider-Man live-service game
• London Studio: Co-op live-service game (studio closed)
• Naughty Dog: The Last of Us Online

The other project PlayStation canceled was a live-service God of War title from Bluepoint Games, the developer behind the beloved remakes of Shadow of the Colossus and Demon’s Souls. Bluepoint Games joined PlayStation Studios in September 2021 and immediately teased that it was working on “original content,” exciting fans who wanted the studio to develop a new game instead of a remake. Bluepoint’s specific wording led many to reckon that instead of a brand-new IP, the studio may be working on an original project based on an existing PlayStation IP, now confirmed to have been God of War. The release windows of these live-service games were unknown, but now that they’re canceled, fans will unfortunately have to wait a very long time to hear from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games.

Thankfully, Sony has confirmed that Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games will not be closed, but layoffs and job cuts aren’t out of the question yet. The company is also working closely with both PlayStation studios to determine their next projects. Given the long-winded nature of AAA game development, though, these games may not see the light of day until the PS6 generation.

PlayStation 5

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Sony’s PlayStation 5 is part of the ninth console generation and debuted with a launch lineup that included Demon’s Souls and Astro’s Playroom. The console comes with a Blu-ray disc, although a digital-only edition is also available for a cheaper price.