PlayStation, a gaming industry titan alongside Xbox and Nintendo, is renowned for its exclusive titles. Over three decades, PlayStation has cultivated a powerhouse of top-tier studios, including Naughty Dog, Guerrilla Games, Sony Santa Monica, and Insomniac Games, all contributing to a stellar lineup of exclusives. However, the PS5 generation has presented its share of challenges. While successes like Returnal, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and God of War Ragnarok shine brightly, there have also been significant setbacks.
The recent closure of Firewalk Studios, developers of the ill-fated Concord, marks a notable struggle. This live-service shooter, in development for nearly a decade, shuttered within two weeks of launch due to overwhelmingly negative reception and low player engagement. This commercial failure underscores a growing player disinterest in the saturated live-service hero shooter market. The fallout from Concord’s demise appears to have wider implications.
Bloomberg reports that PlayStation has canceled two additional live-service projects. One was a new God of War title from Bluepoint Games, known for the PS5 Demon’s Souls remake. The other was an unannounced project from Bend Studio, the developers of Days Gone. Bend Studio has faced a challenging period since 2019. Days Gone, while commercially successful, received mixed reviews and reportedly underperformed against Sony’s internal expectations, with many sales attributed to discounts. Consequently, a planned Days Gone 2 was shelved, and Bend Studio shifted focus to a new project.
Days Gone garnered mixed reviews, affecting the studio’s trajectory.
Reports suggest Bend Studio was briefly involved in developing a new Uncharted title, which was subsequently canceled. Following this, Bend Studio teased a new, undisclosed project, maintaining silence ever since. Anticipation for an official announcement has been building, but unfortunately, this latest cancellation dashes those hopes. Details about the canceled game are scarce, but leaked screenshots in 2024 hinted at a futuristic shooter, drawing comparisons to Bend Studio’s other notable franchise, Siphon Filter.
This cancellation represents another setback for Bend Studio. However, PlayStation has confirmed that the studio will not be closed and is collaborating with Bend on their next venture. Speculation abounds whether this entails the revival of Days Gone 2, potentially aligning with the upcoming Days Gone movie, or perhaps a return to the previously shelved Uncharted project. Bend Studio’s previous experience with Uncharted: Golden Abyss for the PlayStation Vita lends credence to this possibility. While the future remains uncertain, this signifies a positive outlook for Bend Studio, although potential layoffs remain a concern.
PlayStation has not publicly disclosed the reasons behind these cancellations, including the God of War project. The Concord debacle might be a contributing factor, prompting PlayStation to reconsider investing heavily in live-service games after witnessing such a high-profile failure. The underwhelming performance of titles like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, alongside Concord, further highlights the risks associated with this genre. While PlayStation still has live-service offerings like Marathon planned, this shift might signal a renewed focus on delivering the highly anticipated single-player experiences that fans crave.
