Fairgame$ Might Be Another PlayStation Live-Service Failed Attempt

Haven Studio, a Montreal-based developer started by seasoned industry professional Jade Raymond and bought by PlayStation in 2022, seems to be having major problems within the company. A report surfaced that Raymond has officially left the studio. This comes just a short time after an allegedly disappointing external playtest of Haven's first game, Fairgame$.

Raymond's departure casts a long shadow over the project. She was best known for her groundbreaking work on Assassin's Creed. According to people close to the situation cited by an insider, she quit without being told why by PlayStation's leaders. However, her decision came just a few weeks after the live-service shooter Fairgame$ was tested by outside testers. People who were there said that the developers of Haven were worried about how the game was received and how it was progressing overall.

Fairgame$ was first shown in a cinematic trailer that got mixed reactions. It was billed as a flashy, modern heist shooter. It didn't have a unique style, and both critics and fans said so. Many called it generic and uninspired. The gameplay hasn't been shown yet, and early test results haven't done much to change people's minds about how bad it looks.

Sony is very upset about Raymond's departure because she was a big part of Haven's identity and the main reason the studio was brought into the PlayStation family. Her work on the first Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs, and Splinter Cell: Blacklist was especially important, and her ability to lead was seen as a great asset. Now that she's gone, there are a lot of questions about what will happen to Fairgame$ and the studio itself.

In a statement, a PlayStation representative thanked Raymond for his work, saying: "Jade Raymond has been a great partner and a driving force behind the creation of Haven Studios. Thank you so much for all of your leadership and hard work. We wish her the best in her next endeavor."

Sony also made it clear that it is still committed to Haven, which is now co-led by Marie-Ève Danis and Pierre-Francois Sapinski. Daniels has worked on For Honor, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Watch Dogs, among other games, and Sapinsky led the AI development on Rainbow Six Siege and helped with core mechanics in several Assassin's Creed games.

Even though Haven's leaders have extensive experience, there is still skepticism. People who follow the industry have pointed out that while both Danis and Sapinsky have impressive resumes, many of their most well-known works are from the last ten years. Aside from Rainbow Six Siege, which is still a live-service hit, neither executive has had any recent hits that might make people believe in Fairgame$' future again.

More generally, this situation makes people even more worried about PlayStation's recent move into live-service gaming. When Jim Ryan was CEO, PlayStation bought and approved many studios and multiplayer-focused games.

However, many of these projects have since been canceled, delayed, or have not lived up to expectations. Deviation Games, which Ryan bought during this time, shut down quickly after its co-founder left. In the same way, Firewalk Studios and Bungie have had problems that make people worry about the overall strategy.

Since Raymond is no longer working for Fairgame$ and PlayStation has already invested a lot of money into the project, Sony may try to save it rather than let it fail. But if you look at the past, you'll see that when a founding figure leaves, it usually means there is more trouble going on behind the scenes. Keep in mind that Fairgame$ still doesn't have a release date, and since no public gameplay has been shown, consumer excitement is, at best, low.

As things stand, Fairgame$ could be another dead end in PlayStation's live-service experiment. Many fans and experts may already see the writing on the wall. We don't know if Haven will be able to change its course or if Sony will give up.

Until then, this development has made people even less confident about the purchases made during the Jim Ryan era, which, despite their early promise, have yet to produce real success.