PlayStation Axes Unrevealed Live-Service Projects from Acclaimed Studios
Sony has apparently withdrawn support for two unreleased PlayStation titles: one being a God of War live-service game from Demon’s Soul Remake developer Bluepoint, and the other an unidentified live-service project from Day’s Gone creator Bend Studio.
This information comes from Jason Schreier from Bloomberg, with confirmation from a representative of Sony. Nevertheless, the spokesperson assured that neither studio is shutting down.
“Bend and Bluepoint are exceptionally skilled teams who are respected parts of the PlayStation Studios family, and we are collaborating closely with each studio to define their upcoming projects,” stated the spokesperson.
It’s uncertain if these cancellations will lead to any layoffs, and Sony was vague in a different statement provided to Bloomberg, only stating that it is “working closely with Bend and Bluepoint to identify what their next projects will be and aims to do all we can to ensure minimal business disruption.”
PlayStation’s foray into the live-service arena has been quite tumultuous, recently achieving a significant success with Helldivers 2, while simultaneously facing a setback with the sudden closure of the live-action first-person shooter Concord, which led to the shutdown of developer Firewalk Studios.
The cancellations follow less than a year after PlayStation terminated 900 staff within notable studios like Insomniac Games, Sucker Punch, and Guerrilla Games and canceled multiple unannounced projects.
No additional details regarding the recently canceled titles have been disclosed yet, but it is likely we will receive more information in the coming weeks. I have reached out to PlayStation for a statement and will update this article if I receive a response.
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