Sony cancels two unannounced live service titles, including a new God of War game
Sony has confirmed the cancellation of two upcoming live service games from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games, one of which was based on God of War.
The details:
As reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier and later confirmed by a Sony spokesperson, both unannounced titles have been scrapped, with Bluepoint said to have been working on the live service God of War game. Sony's spokesperson stated that the decision was made "following a recent review," but confirmed that neither studio would be closed as a result.
The company has not confirmed whether any layoffs will take place, but stated in an internal memo sent to employees that it would do "everything" to minimize "business impact." Sony also added that it is "working closely with each studio to determine what are the next projects."
Bend Studio's latest release was 2019's Days Gone, which received mixed reviews from both players and critics. Since then, fans have been left in the dark about the studio's next move, with rumors of a Days Gone sequel being shut down and job listings confirming it was working on a AAA live service game.
Bluepoint, the developer of the Demon's Souls remake, was acquired by Sony in 2021, and its president later confirmed that it would shift its focus to original titles following a series of remasters, remakes, and support projects.
Sony's live service plans have changed drastically since it was first announced that the company intended to release 12 titles by 2026. While Helldivers 2 was a huge success, Sony has delayed and canceled several projects, with Concord performing so poorly that it was shut down after only two weeks following years of development. Earlier this week, former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida stated that he hopes the strategy works out in the end, but that he would have opposed the idea due to the risks involved.
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