Sony Has Cancelled Even More Live Service Games, Including One Fans May Be Upset About

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God of War

Kratos preparing an axe attack on a PS5 Pro with Atreus in support.

Sony has confirmed the cancelation of two previously unannounced live-service PlayStation games. This follows a round of canceled live-service games for the PlayStation 5, and it was also confirmed that one of these live-service games was a God of War spinoff.

As spotted by Polygon, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier first reported that Sony was canceling live-service games from in-house developers Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games. Neither studio had announced what live-service game they were working on and hadn't put a release on the horizon. In a post on Bluesky, Schreier added that Bluepoint Games was tasked with working on a live-service game for one of PlayStation's most important franchises.

BREAKING: PlayStation has canceled two more live-service games, from subsidiaries Bend and Bluepoint, Bloomberg has learned. Fans have long wondered what Bluepoint has been working on for the last couple of years. I can report it was a live-service God of War game. www.bloomberg.com/news/article... — Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) 2025-01-16T23:09:48.705Z

Bend Studio is perhaps best known for its 2019 open-world zombie game, Days Gone, while Bluepoint Studios made its name remaking classic PlayStation games Shadow of the Colossus and PS5 launch game Demon's Souls. A spokesperson for Sony explained to Bloomberg that both games were canceled "following a recent review" and that the company is reviewing each studio's next project.

Alleged God Of War Spinoff Canceled By Sony

This Might Be A Big 'What If' For PlayStation Fans

Kratos from God of War shouting and the Colossus from Shadow of the Colossus looking menacing

As reported by Bloomberg, Bluepoint Studios canceled live-service game was a God of War spinoff. The classic PlayStation franchise reclaimed its spot atop the most important franchises at Sony after the much-acclaimed 2018 God of War. Its sequel, God of War: Ragnarok, is making its way to PlayStation Plus to bolster the service's lineup, which lacks some of the premier PlayStation AAA titles.

God Of War Ragnarok: 15 Hardest Boss Fights, Ranked

God of War: Ragnarok diversifies its roster of enemies this time around, and the bosses are dishing out a lot of pain among the playerbase.

The future of the God of War franchise is murky, as Ragnarok left Kratos and his son Atreus with a satisfying conclusion, but perhaps with more room to tell their story. The God of War Valhalla DLC left hints for future stories but was mostly an epilogue for Kratos' journey across both games. Developer Sony Santa Monica Studios announced its focus on new IP, but a possible Atreus-focused spin-off was rumored. There is no indication Bluepoint's game would've focused on Atreus or even stayed in the Norse mythology-inspired setting.

What Live Service Titles Have Been Cut So Far By Sony?

A Lot Of Live-Service Games Went On The Chopping-Block

The cancellation of these live-service games from Bend and Bluepoint is part of a wider readjustment of Sony's live service plans. The most infamous of these cuts was Firewalk Studio's Concord, with the studio being shut down along with the game. The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog was years into developing a live-service Last of Us game before that was also shut down. Resources for The Last of Us multiplayer game then went to the developer's recently announced single-player game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Even with the struggles of Sony's pivot to exclusive live-service games, Sony executive Hiroki Totoki made it clear to investors that the company is still committed to learning the live service model. Sony's sole success in the live-service genre is the much beloved Helldivers 2, which is considered by some to be 2024's game of the year. Where the company goes next with its live-service plans is unknown, but fans shouldn't expect the same onslaught of titles they were originally promised.

Sources: Polygon, Bloomberg, Bluesky (Jason Schreier)

God of War

Character(s) Kratos , Atreus , Athena (God of War) , Ares (God of War) , Zeus (God of War) , Baldur , Thor (God of War) , Freya (God of War)

Video Game(s) God of War (2005) , God of War II , God of War: Betrayal , God of War: Chains of Olympus , God of War III , God of War: Ghost of Sparta , God of War: Origins Collection , God of War: Ascension , God of War III: Remastered , God of War: A Call from the Wilds , God of War (2018) , God of War: Ragnarok

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