Sony's big gamble into live service experiences kicked into high gear with its purchase of Bungie back in 2022 for $3.6 billion, with the company soon saying that it is planning to launch 10 live service games by 2026. It's unclear if Sony is still pursuing that milestone, though, as two projects from its first-party studios have just been canceled.
As first reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Sony has revealed that the two projects were in development at Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games.
Bend Studio is primarily known for its open-world zombie action game Days Gone from 2019, as well as its classic Syphon Filter series. Meanwhile, Bluepoint Games, which Sony acquired in 2021, is the studio behind hits like Shadow of the Colossus and the Demon's Souls remake.
The multiplayer live service games that were in development at these studios had been canceled “following a recent review." Sony says that both studios are safe from being shut down despite the project loss, though it's still unclear if any layoffs will occur because of it. The sudden announcement comes soon after Sony's latest live service venture, Concord, turned out to be a massive flop, with it being pulled from stores and its studio being shut down merely weeks after launch.
“Bend and Bluepoint are highly accomplished teams who are valued members of the PlayStation Studios family, and we are working closely with each studio to determine what are the next projects," says Sony in a statement to Bloomberg.
Per Schreier, one of the canceled games had been a live-service God of War game, which had Bluepoint as the developer. For now, it's unclear what direction Bend Studio was heading in. Recently, Sony president, COO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki said that the company is still learning about live service games and that it will continue to invest in multiplayer ventures.
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