Sony has announced plans to reevaluate its big push into live-service gaming, reducing the number of games that it originally planned to release over the next couple of years. The original goal was to have 12 live-service games running by the end of the 2025 financial year--or the end of March 2026--but Sony has halved this forecast and says that it wants to focus on delivering high-quality games.

"We are reviewing this--we are trying as much as possible to ensure [these games] are enjoyed and liked by gamers for a long time," COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki said in an earnings call (via VGC). "[Of] the 12 titles, six titles will be released by FY25--that's our current plan. [As for] the remaining six titles, we are still working on that. That's the total number of live service and multiplayer titles [and] mid-to-long-term we want to [push] this kind of service and that's the unchanged policy of the company. It's not like we stick to certain titles, but game quality should be the most important [thing]."

Sony's big live-service push has seen it make some big purchases, acquiring Destiny 2 developer Bungie, Haven Studios, and Firewalk Studios. Bungie is currently reviving Marathon as a PvP extraction shooter, Firewalk Studios is working on the sci-fi multiplayer game Concord, and Haven Studios recently revealed FairGame$, a heist game wherein teams of players rob society's wealthiest members. Then there's Horizon developer Guerrilla working on a multiplayer spin-off set in that franchise, and Naughty Dog's The Last of Us competitive game--which very little is known about.

It has been reported that The Last of Us multiplayer game could be on hold, following an evaluation from Bungie that allegedly gave the game a negative internal review. Sony is also experiencing a turbulent period, as some of its most experienced leaders at PlayStation Studios have left the company. PlayStation veteran Connie Booth, who had been with Sony since 1989, left under unexplained circumstances, and former PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan will retire in March 2024.