PlayStation's Jade Raymond Leaves Fairgames Amid Sony Live Service Issues

Jade Raymond has departed Haven Studios, the Sony-owned studio behind the online multiplayer shooter Fairgames, in a move that appears to have further delayed the game following a poorly received external test. This development marks yet another setback for PlayStation’s live service strategy.

As reported by Bloomberg, Raymond left the studio she founded several weeks after an external test of Fairgames reportedly failed to meet expectations. Originally slated for a fall 2025 release, the title has now been pushed back to spring 2026.

According to insiders:

“PlayStation leadership didn’t give Haven staff a reason for her departure, but it came several weeks after an external test of Haven’s first game, the online shooter Fairgames, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Some developers at Haven were concerned about how the game was received and its progress,” said sources who requested anonymity due to lack of public authorization.

Despite the leadership change, Sony remains committed to both Haven Studios and Fairgames. New co-studio heads Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski have taken over to steer the project forward.

This incident adds to a growing list of challenges within Sony’s live service portfolio—many of which have either underperformed or been canceled outright. While Helldivers 2 from Arrowhead Games became a runaway success—selling 12 million copies in just 12 weeks—other live service titles have struggled mightily.

Most notably, Concord was one of PlayStation’s most high-profile failures, shutting down within weeks of launch due to abysmal player numbers. The game was ultimately canceled, and its developer was closed permanently.

Prior to that, Sony scrapped Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer title and, earlier this year, reportedly shelved two unannounced live service projects—one being a God of War title at Bluepoint Games and another at Bend Studio, known for Days Gone.

Back in February 2022, Sony laid out ambitious plans to launch more than ten live service games by March 2026, aiming to bring diverse genres to broader audiences. As part of that push, the company acquired several studios, including Bungie, Firewalk Studios (now shuttered), and Haven Studios.

However, in 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki revealed the company had reviewed its 12 ongoing live service titles and decided to focus on launching only six by the end of the fiscal year 2025 (March 2026). He emphasized that quality would remain the top priority, stating: “It's not that we stick to certain titles, but for the gamers, quality should be the most important.”

Currently, Bungie continues to lead the live service charge with Destiny 2 and the upcoming Marathon, set for full release later this year. Additionally, Sony recently announced a new internal studio called teamLFG, whose debut title is a live service project currently in incubation. Guerrilla Games is also developing a multiplayer Horizon experience.

Sony’s long-term vision for live services remains intact, though clearly undergoing a period of recalibration and strategic refinement.