Sony's cancelled live-service projects includes one very franchise spin-off you wouldn't expect
Sony has shifted its view on live-service games drastically following the historical downfall of Concord. Recently, the gaming giant canceled two live-service projects, both from in-house developers Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games, marking a significant shift in its strategy for live-service titles. Interestingly, one of the canceled games was a God of War spinoff.
In this article, we have shared everything we know so far about the canceled title and what it suggests about Sony's future approach.
Why did Sony cancel a God of War Spinoff?
Sony's decision to cancel live-service games from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games came after a "recent review" of its portfolio. These studios were not forthcoming with any prior announcements about the projects, leaving fans and industry observers to speculate on what could have been.
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It has since been reported that Bluepoint Games, known for its remakes of classic PlayStation titles like Shadow of the Colossus and Demon’s Souls, was working on a live-service game for God of War, one of PlayStation's successful and critically acclaimed franchises of all time.
Meanwhile, Bend Studio, which gained prominence with its 2019 open-world zombie survival game Days Gone, was also working on a live-service game, but details about their project remain unclear. Sony’s decision to cancel both titles hints at the company's current reevaluation of its live-service strategy, especially following the high-profile shut-down of projects like Concord and a live-service version of The Last of Us.
For the last couple of years, there have been speculations about a new God of War game focusing on Atreus/Loki, the son of Kratos. While the live-service God of War is confirmed botched, this new entry in the iconic series is still afloat. However, there are no new reports or updates on the development of this title.
Lastly, this new disinterest towards live-action games doesn’t mean that Sony has abandoned all plans of making more live-service games. Executive Hiroki Totoki has reassured investors that the company will continue to explore the live-service model in the future, making it clear we can expect many more live-service titles from Sony.