Another PlayStation Live-Service game reportedly in trouble

PlayStation subsidiary Haven Studios has reportedly begun letting contractor contracts expire as work continues on its first title, multiplayer heist shooter Fairgames. With the project said to be nowhere near completion, this turn of events signals that yet another PlayStation live service game could be in trouble.

Haven is a PlayStation-owned studio founded by industry veteran Jade Raymond, known for producing The Sims online and the first two main line Assassin's Creed games, among other AAA titles. The Canadian company was acquired by Sony in 2022, just a year after its establishment, and was positioned as part of the Japanese gaming giant's wider push into live services. The group-wide initiative, championed by former Sony Interactive Entertainment chief Jim Ryan, has been increasingly scrutinized by investors and other industry watchers through the lens of tangible results — or lack thereof — after several high-profile failures and significant delays. Raymond himself reportedly left Haven in May 2025.

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Fairgames can look to one of gaming's biggest franchises for inspiration

As a PlayStation Lifetime title, Fairgames probably has an uphill battle ahead of it, but it could seek help from a popular franchise.

Reportedly has not renewed contractors despite Fairgames not being around

According to a new report from YouTuber Detective Seeds, several contractors at Haven have reportedly not had their contracts extended; some have already been completed, while others are underway. His sources characterize the situation as unusual because Fairgames is said to be nowhere near completion. The Canadian developer reportedly has around 50 contractors on the payroll in early 2026, although it's unclear how many could be affected by the alleged downsizing. The report comes just six months later Fairgames studio lost its creative director, Daniel Drapeau, who left to join WB Games Montreal.

Who is that character?

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Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

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May 24, 2026 will mark the third anniversary of Sony's announcement Fairgames with a two-minute CGI trailer. Subsequent rumors claimed that the live-service shooter was targeted for a 2025 release. However, Fairgames was later said to have been internally delayed to 2026, according to a February 2025 report by well-known industry insider Jeff Grubb. Detective Seed's sources claim the shooter is still nowhere near release, citing a recent internal playtest.

The Fairgames developer is said to be in no danger of shutting down at the moment

Despite the reported difficulties, Detective Seed's sources say Haven is not currently in danger of being shut down. However, it's not about how the Canadian developer plans to complete its debut title, especially if Fairgames is far from complete. The heist shooter has spent roughly half a decade in development starting in early 2026, though it's unclear when exactly it entered active production.

Missteps in the live services segment have already affected several Sony subsidiaries, most recently highlighted by the recently confirmed closure of Bluepoint Games. Bluepoint was acquired in 2021 and will close in March without shipping a single game as part of the PlayStation Studios family. Prior to the acquisition, the Austin, Texas-based company developed a reputation as a flagship remake workshop, but Sony reportedly assigned it to a live-service project that was canceled in early 2025. The studio then reportedly spent the following year deciding which project to pitch before making the decision to shut down.

PlayStation's Live-Service Push Continues

While examples like Bluepoint and Firewalk Studios Harmony invited investors to a review of Sony's live service initiative, the group also had some success in the segment, most notably with Arrowhead Games Studios Helldivers 2which still enjoys significant player engagement two years into its release. Looking to the more immediate future, PlayStation's next live-service venture may not be Fairgames but the recently announced Horizon Hunters Gathering. The three-player co-op PvE game still lacks a concrete release date, but with its first closed beta test scheduled for the weekend of February 28, there's a realistic chance it will launch before the end of 2026.