Sony Exec Jade Raymond Leaves Fairgames Amid Concerns

Jade Raymond has departed Haven Studios, the Sony-owned developer working on the online multiplayer shooter Fairgames, marking another setback for PlayStation's live-service gaming strategy. Reports indicate the game has been delayed following underwhelming external testing.

Leadership Shakeup Amid Development Concerns

According to Bloomberg, Raymond left the company she founded just weeks after Fairgames' external testing reportedly failed to impress. The title was originally slated for fall 2025 but has now been pushed to spring 2026.

The report states:

"PlayStation leadership didn't provide Haven staff with an explanation for her departure, which occurred shortly after testing for Fairgames received mixed feedback. Some developers expressed concerns about the game's reception and progress, according to anonymous sources."

Sony remains committed to Haven Studios, appointing Marie-Eve Danis and Pierre-François Sapinski as new co-studio heads to oversee continued development of Fairgames.

Turbulence in PlayStation's Live-Service Strategy

This development represents another challenge for Sony's struggling live-service initiative. While Helldivers 2 became PlayStation Studios' fastest-selling title with 12 million copies sold in three months, other live-service projects have faced significant hurdles.

The recent collapse of Concord became one of PlayStation's most dramatic failures, shutting down permanently just weeks after launch due to critically low player counts. Sony also terminated development of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer project and reportedly canceled two unannounced live-service titles – including a God of War project at Bluepoint Studios and another at Days Gone developer Bend Studio.

Scaling Back Ambitious Plans

Sony initially announced plans in February 2022 to release over ten live-service games by March 2026, acquiring multiple studios including Bungie and Haven Studios to support this strategy. However, by 2023 the company revised these ambitions, committing to just six releases by their fiscal year-end in March 2026.

Hiroki Totoki, Sony president, stated at the time: "Our priority isn't specific titles but delivering quality experiences for players."

Bungie remains a key player in Sony's live-service portfolio with Destiny 2 and the upcoming Marathon. Sony recently formed teamLFG, a new studio focused on live-service development, while Guerrilla Games continues work on a Horizon multiplayer title.