Jade Raymond Leaves Fairgames Amid Sony's Ongoing Live Service Challenges

Jade Raymond has departed from Haven Studios, the Sony-owned developer behind the online multiplayer shooter Fairgames. This departure comes in the wake of an external test that reportedly did not meet expectations, leading to a delay in the game's release from fall 2025 to spring 2026. This news represents another setback for PlayStation's ambitious plans in the live service gaming sector.

According to Bloomberg, Raymond's exit occurred several weeks after the external test of Fairgames. The reasons for her departure were not disclosed to Haven's staff by PlayStation leadership. Some developers at Haven expressed concerns about the game's reception and its development progress, as per sources who preferred anonymity.

Despite these challenges, Sony remains committed to Haven and Fairgames, with Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski stepping in as the new co-studio heads.

This development adds to the troubles Sony faces in its live service endeavors. While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 achieved remarkable success, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game with 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks, other ventures have not fared as well. Sony's Concord experienced a disastrous launch and was quickly taken offline due to low player engagement, eventually leading to its cancellation and the closure of its developer.

Sony also canceled Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer project and earlier this year reportedly axed two unannounced live service games, including a God of War title by Bluepoint and a project from Days Gone developer Bend.

In February 2022, Sony announced plans to launch over 10 live service games by March 2026, aiming to cater to diverse audiences and genres. The company invested heavily in studio acquisitions, including Destiny developer Bungie, Jade Raymond's Haven Studios, and the now-closed Firewalk Studios.

However, in 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced a review of the 12 live service games in development, committing to launch only six by the end of the financial year 2025. Totoki emphasized that the timing of the other six games was still under consideration and stressed the importance of quality for gamers.

Bungie continues to support Sony's live service efforts with ongoing work on Destiny 2 and the upcoming full launch of Marathon later this year. Sony also recently announced a new PlayStation studio, teamLFG, which is working on a live service incubation project, alongside Guerrilla’s Horizon multiplayer game currently in development.