Sony has announced a significant shift in its release strategy for the PlayStation this fiscal year, indicating that no new games in some of its biggest existing franchises will be released before it concludes in April 2025. This decision impacts several highly anticipated titles and franchises, including God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Uncharted, The Last of Us, Ratchet & Clank, Horizon, and potentially Ghost of Tsushima.
As reported by Gematsu, Hiroki Totoki, the president of Sony, highlighted that while major projects are in development, fans should not expect new entries in these beloved series until after this period.
However, this doesn’t affect the release of PC ports of existing games within these franchises, new intellectual properties, or titles from smaller franchises. Sony has recently expressed its commitment to producing high-quality works and developing live service games, with fresh IP like the multiplayer shooter Concord by Firesprite and the anticipated remaster and PC port of Until Dawn still on the agenda for release within this timeframe.
Despite the focus away from major existing franchises, Sony anticipates a slight decrease in first-party software profit due to the lack of major franchise title releases. Conversely, it sees an increase in third-party software sales and network services revenue on the horizon, hinting at a strategic pivot towards supporting titles from outside developers and enhancing its online service offerings, including PlayStation Plus subscriptions.
Recent PlayStation State of Play broadcasts have showcased this shift, featuring mostly third-party blockbusters such as Silent Hill 2, Death Stranding 2, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, among others.
Amid these changes, Sony continues to explore new opportunities for growth, including the release of multiplatform games. Totoki has expressed a desire to improve PlayStation’s profit margins through such strategies, suggesting a broader vision for the company’s gaming content beyond its traditional console-exclusive model.
While the absence of new titles from major existing franchises may disappoint some, it’s still worth noting that Sony’s pipeline includes promising new IPs and smaller-scale projects. In addition to Concord, additional new IPs are reportedly in development at Naughty Dog, Santa Monica Studio, Bend Studio, and Bluepoint Games, offering a glimpse into the future of PlayStation’s gaming catalog sans existing blockbusters.
The company’s renewed focus on live service games and third-party collaborations, which is proving successful so far following the record-breaking numbers that Helldivers 2 is putting up, points to Sony’s evolving approach to game development and release strategies.
Despite the shifts, fan anticipation for new content remains, with fans eager to see what new and innovative titles Sony will introduce to the PlayStation platform in the coming years.
