Sony has canceled two unannounced live-service games that were under development at Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games. According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, the Bluepoint project was reportedly a live-service God of War game, while Bend Studio’s project remains undisclosed.

A Sony spokesperson confirmed these cancellations were made “following a recent review.” This marks another significant shift in Sony’s gaming portfolio, affecting two major PlayStation Studios developers.

Studios Stand Strong As Sony’s Plans for Bend and Bluepoint

Despite the project cancellations, both studios will remain operational. Sony has explicitly stated that neither Bend Studio nor Bluepoint Games will face closure. In an internal memo viewed by Bloomberg, Sony emphasized its commitment to minimizing business impact, stating they are “working closely with Bend and Bluepoint to determine what are the next projects.”

Days Gone Studio Stays Defiant “We Still Plan on Creating Cool S**t”

In response to the news, Bend Studio’s community manager Kevin McAllister took to social media with a message of resilience: “Thanks for the love and support everyone, especially to those that have reached out. P.S. We still plan on creating cool s**t.” The studio, known for developing Days Gone (2019) for PlayStation 4 and later releasing it on PC in 2021, remains determined to continue creating games despite this setback.

Record Breaker vs Record Breaker A Tale of Two Launches

Sony’s venture into live-service gaming has shown stark contrasts in outcomes. Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 emerged as a breakout success, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game with 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks. However, this success story stands in sharp contrast to other attempts.

The Concord launch stands as one of the biggest video game disasters in PlayStation history. The game lasted mere weeks before being taken offline due to extremely low player numbers. Sony subsequently made the decision to shut down both the game and its developer completely.

Learning From Success and Failure

Sony’s president, COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki acknowledged key lessons from both launches. Speaking specifically about Concord, Totoki pointed to critical issues in their development approach. “We should have done those gates much earlier than we did,” he stated, referring to user testing and internal evaluation processes.

Totoki also highlighted organizational challenges, noting “We have a siloed organization, so going beyond the boundaries of those organizations in terms of development and also sales, I think that could have been much smoother.” He further addressed timing concerns, suggesting better windows were needed for game launches to avoid internal competition.

Senior Vice President Sadahiko Hayakawa reinforced this learning mindset: “We gained a lot of experience and learned a lot from both [launches]. We intend to share the lessons learned from our successes and failures across our studios.”

Former PlayStation Veteran Speaks Out

Shuhei Yoshida, a 31-year PlayStation veteran who departed on January 15, shared candid thoughts about Sony’s live-service direction. In a conversation with Kinda Funny, Yoshida revealed he “would’ve tried to resist” the push into live-service had he remained in charge before Hermen Hulst’s leadership.

Yoshida explained that Sony provided PlayStation “a lot more resources” after Hulst took over, targeting both single-player games and new live-service projects. Management understood the move was “risky,” with Yoshida noting the chances of success in the competitive live-service market “would be small.” He added that “nobody” anticipated Helldivers 2’s massive success, stating, “You can’t plan a success in this industry. That’s the most fun part of this business.”

PlayStation’s Remaining Live Service Lineup

Despite recent setbacks, several PlayStation live-service projects remain active. Marathon from Bungie continues development, alongside Guerrilla’s Horizon Online project. Haven Studio’s Fairgame$ also stays in production.

The company has significantly adjusted its original ambitions. Announced in 2022, Sony initially planned to launch 12 live-service games by 2026. By November 2023, this target was reduced by half to six games. While Sony maintained they still had 12 games planned at that time, they acknowledged some were delayed and under review.

The Road Ahead for PlayStation Studios

Sony’s approach to live-service gaming represents a period of significant change for PlayStation Studios. With Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games now redirecting their efforts, Sony faces critical decisions about its future game development strategy.

Senior Vice President Sadahiko Hayakawa outlined their revised approach: “We intend to build on an optimum title portfolio during the current mid-range plan period that combines single-player games — which are our strengths and which have a higher predictability of becoming hits due to our proven IP — with live-service games that pursue upside while taking on a certain amount of risk upon release.”

The closure statements from Sony indicate ongoing support for both affected studios, with the company spokesperson emphasizing, “Bend and Bluepoint are highly accomplished teams who are valued members of the PlayStation Studios family.” As these studios determine their next projects, the gaming industry watches closely to see how Sony’s live-service strategy will continue to adapt and evolve.