Whenever an occasional rumor surfaces claiming that Haven Studios has canceled their upcoming free-to-play game FairGame$, it leaves gamers like me in confusion. The tattle began when some industry guy mentioned on a podcast that Sony is pushing live-service games ad infinitum. That little comment caught fire, and soon enough, FairGame$ was thought to be dropped for reasons like the end of the Concord project and changes to the internal studio staff.
I saw these posts all over Twitter and gaming news, and honestly, for a moment, I thought the game was really dead. Later, more details came out. Supposedly, the allegations were fabricated. The same guy also later said he really didn’t know what stage FairGame$ was in, and his earlier words shouldn’t be taken seriously.
What we know so far is that FairGame$ is still under development at Haven Studios. It has not been officially canceled. Of course, the wait doesn’t feel so bright, but that would be expected for a live-service game. They’re hard to make, and everything can go wrong. Sony even did some internal playtests on the PlayStation Network, either with their team or players. Some mixed feedback came from players, but that is almost natural. A playtest is just a step in the development process and isn’t an indicator of the game shutting down.
To me, this whole saga shows how fast rumors can travel in gaming. An offhand remark gets to the press, and before you know it, the community is in a mass panic. You really start to understand why it is so important to wait for proper announcements before believing anything. As of now, Haven Studios and Sony have not put out an official word on FairGame$, thus leaving the fans wishing and wondering about their fate.
Multiplayer games create a lot of pressure. Developers must generate new content, which will appeal to players, while simultaneously aligning that with the company’s larger strategies. FairGame$ appears to be in one of those projects right at the intersection of that dilemma.
To be honest, I remain interested. The concept sounded interesting when FairGame$ was first revealed, and it would be a shame if we didn’t get to see it before someone decides to send it off. At present, all we can do is keep our eyes open for any development from Haven Studios.
The rumors, of course, may continue unfettered; the only concrete fact is that FairGame$ has not yet been officially declared canceled. You may also be interested in: Gamer’s Review of EA Sports Madden NFL 26
