Sony Shutters Dual Live Service Projects Linked to God of War Franchise
Sony, the creator of PlayStation, has terminated two undisclosed live service projects being developed by its internal studios, Bluepoint Games and Bend Studio.
The company verified this information to Bloomberg and mentioned that both studios will continue to operate.
In a post on Bluesky, Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier disclosed that one of the projects was a live service title based on God of War being developed at Bluepoint, known for remaking Dark Souls.
Sony stated that the cancellation of both projects followed a “recent evaluation.” Although neither studio is being closed, Sony did not clarify if this decision will result in staff reductions.
“Bend and Bluepoint are exceptionally talented teams who are integral members of the PlayStation Studios family, and we are collaborating closely with each studio to determine their next projects,” a company representative informed Bloomberg.
In recent years, Sony has scrapped several live service initiatives, including the multiplayer shooter Harmony.
Harmony was a significant loss for the company. It was pulled from sale just weeks after its release and ultimately discontinued. The developer Firewalk was subsequently shut down by Sony, with the studio expressing that certain aspects of the game “did not perform as we anticipated.”
As reported by Bloomberg in December 2023, the Japanese console manufacturer had previously shelved a multiplayer project based on Marvel’s Spider-Man.
Last year, Sony experienced success with Helldivers 2. The company launched the highly praised multiplayer shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios, establishing its position as a PlayStation console exclusive. The game has sold over 12 million copies to date.
However, it also laid off hundreds of developers across key subsidiaries such as Insomniac, Naughty Dog, and Guerrilla Games. Various internal studios, including Firewalk, London Studio, and mobile developer Neon Koi, have been shut down.
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Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and writer with over a decade of experience in the gaming industry. His work has been published in major print and digital outlets including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, Global Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered significant industry events such as GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has served on the judging panel for The Develop Star Awards multiple times and has appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.