Sony’s foray into the live service genre hasn’t gone as well as expected. After initially announcing plans to release 12 live service games by March 2026, it didn’t take long for it to cut it in half, with the fate of the remaining projects left unclear following its decision to literally cancel Concord just over a week after it was released and initially met by unwelcoming arms.
Looking ahead, Sony’s pipeline of live service games has dwindled to just a handful of known titles. Work continues on a multiplayer game set in the Horizon universe, though many are wary after what happened to The Last of Us‘s online component. Haven Studios is developing Fairgame$, a heist-themed game in the vein of Payday, but details remain scarce, and it feels all but destined to follow Concord.
Bungie’s extraction shooter, Marathon, is slated for a 2025 release, though many doubt whether it can meet this timeline after multiple earlier days, especially as it’s a multiplatform title that will have to be optimized for the Xbox Series S. Additionally, a new studio formed under Sony is working on a game codenamed Gummi Bears, which aims to blend MOBA elements with Smash Bros-style fighting mechanics.
Helldivers 2, a cooperative PvE shooter, emerged as the standout success among Sony’s live service offerings. The game exceeded sales expectations and maintained a healthy player base, despite some recent controversies. However, this is a singular win amidst numerous setbacks and failures.
One of the most significant blows to Sony’s live service strategy is The Last of Us’s online multiplayer game, which reportedly ruffled plenty of executive-level feathers at Sony. Before its cancellation, Sony had reportedly spent millions developing the game, forcing Naughty Dog to make certain concessions to make it happen only to scrap the idea.
Another disappointment came in the form of Foamstars, a PlayStation-exclusive title developed by Square Enix. Despite the pedigree of its developer, the game failed to make a significant impact, failing to leave much of an impression on players or critics.
To be fair, Sony’s live service struggles aren’t completely unexpected. The market is dominated by established juggernauts, making it near-impossible for newcomers to break through and capture a significant audience share.
You could argue the same for the single-player market, except it’s the opposite. It’s Sony’s playground, where the company has consistently found success with first-party exclusives like last year’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and this year’s third-party releases such as Stellar Blade and the pseudo-exclusive, Black Myth: Wukong—contrary to popular belief, Game Science’s hit title isn’t exclusive to the PlayStation 5.
However, while Sony could’ve easily went all-in on its strengths—it’s still working on single-player first-party titles, some of which are coming out next year, and it will be supplemented by the China Hero Project—Sony’s decision-making remains sound even if expensive.
As the adage, “you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs,” goes, Sony is banking on the possibility that at least one of their upcoming live service titles will make more profit to cover for their failed investments.
For all its shortcomings, Helldivers 2 remains the fastest-selling PlayStation game of all time.
Can you imagine if Sony landed another hit like Helldivers 2? It can use the money to fund another set of live service titles and more single-player AAA projects, which have ballooned to unreasonable amounts to make.
It remains to be seen which Sony live service game will be released next, but it’s definitely in the company’s best interest to learn from its mistakes.
