By Responses from the pre-alpha assessment were extremely unsatisfactory
- by Sammy Barker
Fairgames – previously referred to as Fairgame$, of course – was revealed alongside Sony’s unfortunate first-person shooter Concord, as part of the company’s broader live service initiative.
However, we recently learned that the founder of developer Haven Studios, Jade Raymond – a seasoned veteran from Ubisoft who played a crucial role in the early triumph of Assassin’s Creed – had departed the studio following a wave of negative responses.
And now, thanks to the latest episode of PlayStation podcast Sacred Symbols (behind a paywall), further details about the project are starting to emerge.
Reportedly, a pre-alpha was made available through PSN under the title Project Hearts, allowing a limited number of users to engage with the game.
According to one participant, it’s a “Battle Royale mixed with an extraction shooter”, featuring elements from both Fortnite and The Division.
If you recall the initial trailer, it had a modern Robin Hood aesthetic, as teams of stylish outlaws stole from the wealthy.
Allegedly, the game drops players into an expansive urban setting in groups of three to four and tasks them with pilfering from vaults while other player squads endeavor to do the same.
In essence, it appears to be yet another extraction shooter, akin to the massively popular Escape from Tarkov or Sony subsidiary Bungie’s Marathon.
However, it seems that the game lacks a satisfying gameplay experience and is described as “super clunky” in its current state, aligning with what Bloomberg reported regarding Raymond’s exit. The response to the release has not been favorable.
Sony has stated that it remains dedicated to Haven Studios under new management, but it’s worth noting that it has been four years since the establishment of the team and over two years since its complete acquisition.
Once again, it creates a very uncertain outlook for the platform holder’s live service strategy. With the cancellation of Concord under rare circumstances, and many of its online ventures shelved behind the scenes, the company will understandably be feeling uneasy about any future releases.
The fate of Fairgames, we suspect, hangs by a thread.
[source patreon.com]
As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy boasts over 15 years of expertise reviewing the PlayStation landscape, from PS3 through PS5 and all that lies in between. He is well-versed in PS Studios and industry dynamics, along with sports titles and simulations. He also relishes RPGs whenever time permits and considers himself a bit of a gacha enthusiast.