The road to live-service glory for Sony PlayStation appears to be paved with as many potholes as promises. The latest bump in this ambitious journey comes courtesy of Fairgame$, a forthcoming PS5 and PC title from Haven Studios, which has just seen another high-profile departure: its Game Director, Daniel Drapeau. This news, following a reported delay to 2026 and the earlier exit of Haven founder Jade Raymond, paints a vivid picture of the turbulent landscape Sony navigates in its quest for the next big evergreen hit.
The Fairgame$ Saga: Another Chip Falls
Daniel Drapeau, a veteran of the gaming industry with a distinguished career spanning Ubisoft`s Rainbow Six Siege and Eidos-Montreal`s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, has officially left Haven Studios. His new destination? WB Games Montreal, where he`ll assume the role of creative director for an undisclosed project. “Let`s do this!” he proclaimed on LinkedIn, signaling a fresh start, but for Fairgame$, it marks yet another significant change in leadership.
Drapeau`s departure is not an isolated incident. Haven founder Jade Raymond, a highly respected figure in the industry, also exited the company in May. These personnel changes arrive alongside reports that Fairgame$ itself has been pushed back to a 2026 release, a decision reportedly spurred by unfavorable internal playtests. It seems the game, envisioned as a modern-day Robin Hood fantasy where players “stick it to the man” by infiltrating forbidden locations and liberating wealth from untouchable billionaires, is facing its own formidable challenges even before launch.
“Fairgame$ will give you an opportunity to break the rules as a modern-day Robin Hood, a thrill seeker, or just someone who wants to collect cool loot,” creative director Mathieu Leduc once promised. One can only hope its development doesn`t require breaking too many rules internally.
Sony`s Live-Service Ambitions: A Series of Unfortunate Events (and One Major Triumph)
Fairgame$`s struggles are not an anomaly but rather a recurring theme in Sony`s broader live-service strategy. Just a few years ago, Sony was brimming with ambition, aiming to launch a staggering 12 live-service titles. However, the cold realities of game development and market dynamics quickly set in. The company soon halved its projected output, emphasizing “quality over quantity” – a pivot that, retrospectively, seems entirely justified.
The graveyard of PlayStation`s live-service dreams is growing. Naughty Dog`s highly anticipated The Last of Us multiplayer game was canceled. Reports also surfaced of canceled live-service iterations of God of War and another project from Bend Studio. The most spectacular misstep, perhaps, was Concord. Launched in August, its performance was so dismal that Sony swiftly pulled the game offline and issued refunds to all players, leading to the closure of its developer, Firewalk. It’s a sobering reminder that even with significant investment, the live-service market is a brutal arena.
This turbulent period also saw internal shifts and reported discontent. Former PlayStation boss Jim Ryan`s mandate for more games-as-a-service titles reportedly ruffled feathers among some PlayStation developers. The blame, interestingly, was said to have fallen on Connie Booth, a veteran developer, leading to her eventual departure. His successor, Hermen Hulst, inherited a strategy that former boss Shuhei Yoshida admitted he would have “tried to resist,” joking that it might be “one of the reasons they removed me.” A healthy dose of irony, indeed, in the high-stakes world of corporate strategy.
Helldivers 2: The Unlikely Hero
Amidst this challenging backdrop, one title stands as a shining beacon of success: Helldivers 2. This breakout hit has not only smashed sales records but quickly became one of the best-selling games of the year in the US. Its unique blend of cooperative action, humor, and ongoing community engagement proved that Sony can indeed strike gold in the live-service sector, provided the game offers a compelling, well-executed vision. Helldivers 2`s recent expansion to Xbox, coupled with new updates, has further cemented its popularity, proving that the right game can overcome platform exclusivity debates.
The contrast couldn`t be starker. While Fairgame$ grapples with leadership changes and delays, and Concord becomes a cautionary tale, Helldivers 2 illustrates that the appetite for engaging live-service experiences is undeniably present. It simply demands exceptional quality, clear vision, and, crucially, a game that genuinely resonates with players from day one.
The Road Ahead for PlayStation
Following the Concord debacle, Hermen Hulst affirmed that Sony is implementing new structures to ensure future live-service games are launched in a much healthier state. This is a vital commitment, as other projects like Bungie`s Marathon are also reportedly facing delays and challenges. The gaming landscape is littered with ambitious titles that failed to capture sustained player interest, a fate Sony is desperately trying to avoid for its remaining live-service pipeline.
The saga of Fairgame$ and its developer exodus is more than just a footnote in a single game`s development; it`s a microcosm of the larger, intricate dance Sony performs as it seeks to balance its renowned single-player narrative strengths with the evolving demands of the live-service market. The journey is far from over, but one thing is clear: success in this highly competitive space requires more than just ambition – it demands unwavering focus, resilience, and perhaps, a touch of that “Robin Hood” spirit to overcome the formidable odds.
Callum Darby