Sony's Live Service Struggles Persist: Jade Raymond Leaves Fairgames Amid Testing Concerns

Jade Raymond has left Haven Studios, the Sony-owned developer behind the online multiplayer shooter Fairgames, following a reportedly unsuccessful external test. This departure has led to the delay of Fairgames from its planned fall 2025 release to spring 2026, marking another setback for PlayStation's live service ambitions.

According to Bloomberg, Raymond's exit occurred several weeks after the external test of Fairgames, which did not meet expectations. PlayStation leadership did not provide a specific reason for her departure, but it has raised concerns among Haven's developers about the game's reception and development progress.

Sony remains committed to Haven and Fairgames, with new co-studio heads Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski now leading the studio.

This development adds to the challenges Sony faces with its live service strategy. While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 achieved remarkable success, selling 12 million copies in just 12 weeks and becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game, other live service titles 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, ultimately leading to its cancellation and the closure of its developer.

Sony had previously canceled Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer game and, earlier this year, reportedly terminated two unannounced live service projects—one from Bluepoint 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 diversify genres and reach different audiences. The company invested heavily in studio acquisitions, including Destiny developer Bungie, 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. Totoki emphasized that the focus should be on quality for gamers, indicating flexibility in the release schedule for the remaining six games.

Despite these setbacks, Bungie continues to support the live service model with Destiny 2 and the upcoming full launch of Marathon later this year. Additionally, Sony recently announced a new PlayStation studio, teamLFG, working on a live service incubation project, and Guerrilla is developing a multiplayer game in the Horizon series.