Sony recently canceled nine games and fans criticized the company for the string of failures
Sony's ambitious plan to launch 12 game services by 2025 has hit a major snag, leaving gamers frustrated and questioning the company's direction. The recent cancellation of nine projects, a significant portion of that initial slate, has sparked outrage among players.
In 2022, then-president Jim Ryan unveiled this bold strategy, a response to the evolving gaming landscape. However, this pivot towards services was met with skepticism from many gamers concerned about a potential shift away from beloved single-player experiences. Despite assurances that single-player games would remain a priority, the recent cancellations tell a different story.
Nine of the twelve planned services have been scrapped. While Helldivers 2 found success, projects like Concord, Payback, The Last of Us: Factions, Spider-Man: The Great Web, and a God of War title from Bluepoint Games have been cut. This also includes cancelled projects from Bend Studio, Firesprite, London Studio, and Deviation Games.
Sony's Cancelled Games:
- Concord (failed to meet expectations)
- God of War (Bluepoint Games)
- Bend Studio's multiplayer game
- The Last of Us: Factions
- Spider-Man: The Great Web (Insomniac Games)
- Twisted Metal (Firesprite)
- Unannounced fantasy game (London Studio)
- Payback (Bungie)
- Networking project (Deviation Games)
The cancellations primarily impacted Sony's games-as-a-service initiative. The reaction from gamers has been overwhelmingly negative, with many criticizing Sony for prioritizing trends over its core strengths and established franchises. Projects from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games, in particular, face considerable delays.
