PlayStation subsidiary Haven Studios has reportedly begun letting contractor agreements lapse as work continues on its first title, the multiplayer heist shooter Fairgames. With the project said to be nowhere near completion, this turn of events signals that yet another PlayStation live-service game could be in trouble.
Haven is a PlayStation-owned studio founded by industry veteran Jade Raymond, known for producing The Sims Online and the first two mainline Assassin’s Creed games, among other AAA titles. The Canadian company was acquired by Sony in 2022, just one year after its establishment, and positioned as part of the Japanese gaming giant’s broader live-service push. The group-wide initiative, championed by former Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan, has been increasingly scrutinized by investors and other industry watchers through the lens of tangible results—or lack thereof—following several high-profile failures and significant delays. Raymond herself reportedly left Haven in May 2025.
Fairgames Can Look to One of Gaming’s Biggest Franchises For Inspiration
As a PlayStation live-service title, Fairgames probably has an uphill battle ahead of it, but it could look to a popular gaming franchise for help.
Haven Reportedly Not Renewing Contractors Despite Fairgames Being Nowhere Near Done
According to a new report by YouTuber Detective Seeds, multiple contractors at Haven are reportedly not having their contracts extended; some have already finished, while others are in the process. His sources characterize the situation as unusual because Fairgames is said to be nowhere near completion. The Canadian developer reportedly has around 50 contractors on payroll as of early 2026, though it is unclear how many may be affected by the alleged downsizing. The report arrives just half a year after the Fairgames studio lost its creative director, Daniel Drapeau, who left to join WB Games Montreal.
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May 24, 2026 will mark the third anniversary of Sony announcing Fairgames with a two-minute CGI trailer. Subsequent rumors claimed the live-service heist shooter was targeting a 2025 release. However, Fairgames was later said to have been internally delayed to 2026, according to a February 2025 report by well-known industry insider Jeff Grubb. Detective Seeds’ sources claim the shooter is still nowhere near release-ready, citing a recent internal playtest.
Fairgames Developer Reportedly Not in Danger of Closing Down For Now
Despite the reported difficulties, Detective Seeds’ sources say Haven is not currently at risk of being shut down. However, that does not address how the Canadian developer plans to complete its debut title, particularly if Fairgames remains far from completion. The heist shooter has spent approximately half a decade in development as of early 2026, though it is unclear when exactly it entered active production.
Missteps in the live-service segment have already affected several Sony subsidiaries, as most recently underlined by the newly confirmed closure of Bluepoint Games. Acquired in 2021, Bluepoint will be closed in March without shipping a single game as part of the PlayStation Studios family. Prior to its acquisition, the Austin, Texas-based company developed a reputation as a flagship remake workshop, but Sony reportedly assigned it to a live-service project that was canceled in early 2025. The studio is then said to have spent the following year deciding on what project to pitch before the decision on its closure was made.
PlayStation’s Live-Service Push Continues
While examples such as Bluepoint and Firewalk Studio’s Concord invited investor scrutiny over Sony’s live-service initiative, the group also had some success in the segment, most notably with Arrowhead Games Studios’ Helldivers 2, which is still enjoying substantial player engagement two years into its release. Looking at the more immediate future, PlayStation’s next live-service bet may not be Fairgames but the recently announced Horizon Hunters Gathering. The three-player co-op PvE game is still without a concrete release date, but with its first closed beta test scheduled for the weekend of February 28, there is a realistic chance it launches before the end of 2026.
- Developer(s)
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Haven Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
