Sony recently cancelled two undeveloped live-service video games by Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games subsidiaries. Reports say a live-service game for Sony set within the God of War universe existed among these cancelled projects.

This action from Sony stems from its wider evaluation process concerning live-service game development methods. Through their development roadmap, Sony intended to introduce 12 live-service games before March 2026 while trying to achieve popular success similar to Fortnite. However, following the underperformance and subsequent shutdown of the hero shooter Concord, Sony has been reevaluating its approach.

Bend Studio, known for the action-adventure game Days Gone, was working on a new project that has now been shelved. The acclaimed Bluepoint Games team which normally produces deluxe remakes, transitioned its focus to develop what sources called a live-service God of War spinoff that ultimately resulted in cancellation.

Sony has announced that despite two of their projects being pulled, Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games will remain operational throughout this stage of development. The organization acts to protect business continuity and jobs in both studios which keeps the active operations of their respective studios intact.

FAQ

What companies suffered from Sony's latest decisions to terminate game development projects?

Both Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games had their live-service projects shelved along with Sony's undisclosed business decisions.

Was one of the cancelled games related to God of War?

Yes, one of the cancelled projects was reportedly a live-service game set in the God of War universe.

Do the game cancellations mean Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games will shut their operations?

Sony confirmed that the closures of the studios won't happen as they work to reduce disruptions to business operations and workforce retention.

What is Sony's current strategy regarding live-service games?

Sony is evaluating its live-service gaming strategy to adopt a new mixed model integrating both live-service with single-player game creation.