By Sagar V. Mankar 
According to recent reports from Bloomberg, Sony has decided to cancel a live-service God of War game that was being developed by Bluepoint Games. This news comes as part of a larger shift in Sony’s gaming strategy, with multiple online gaming projects being shelved in recent months.
The Canceled Projects
Bluepoint Games, widely celebrated for their impressive remake of Demon’s Souls on PlayStation 5, had been working on transforming the traditionally single-player God of War series into an online multiplayer experience. The game would have been a significant departure from the series’ roots, which has built its reputation on compelling storytelling and intense solo adventures featuring the iconic character Kratos.
Along with the God of War project, Sony has also canceled another live-service game from Bend Studio, the team behind Days Gone.
A Sony spokesperson confirmed these cancellations to Bloomberg while emphasizing that both studios would remain operational. “Bend and Bluepoint are highly accomplished teams who are valued members of the PlayStation Studios family, and we are working closely with each studio to determine what are the next projects,” the spokesperson stated.
A Changing Direction
This cancellation isn’t happening in isolation. Sony has been steadily stepping back from its ambitious live-service gaming plans first announced in February 2022. At that time, under former executive Jim Ryan‘s leadership, the company had set a bold target of launching more than 10 live-service games. However, the landscape has shifted considerably since then.
The past year has seen Sony cancel numerous live-service projects, including:
- Concord, a sci-fi shooter that was shut down just two weeks after launch
- The Last of Us multiplayer game from Naughty Dog
- A Twisted Metal project at Firesprite
- London Studio‘s co-op game (followed by the studio’s closure)
- A cooperative Spider-Man game titled “The Great Web” from Insomniac (as per leaks)
- Deviation Games‘ multiplayer game
- Payback, a third-person Destiny spin-off from Bungie
Despite these cancellations, Sony isn’t completely abandoning online gaming. The company continues to support Helldivers 2, which has proven to be a recent success. Additionally, two projects remain in active development: Bungie’s Marathon and an unannounced PvP game from Haven Studios. There are also rumors of two online games set in the Horizon universe – a cooperative experience and a potential MMO.
This strategic shift suggests Sony might be reconsidering its approach to live-service games, potentially returning to its strength in creating compelling single-player experiences. However, with successful titles like Helldivers 2 showing the potential for online games, Sony appears to be taking a more selective approach rather than completely abandoning the live-service market.
Sources: Bloomberg