--- title: "PlayStation cancels Fairgames shooter before release: Haven Interactive studio to support other teams" description: "PlayStation has canceled the multiplayer shooter Fairgames from Canadian studio Haven Interactive before its release. Developers will not be laid off, but the studio will pivot to supporting other teams." date: 2026-11-11T10:12:45.196Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/playstation-cancels-shuter-fairgames tags: [playstation, fairgames, haven-interactive, game-cancellation, bloomberg, ps5, multiplayer-shooter] author: "Alexander Buran, Roman V." publisher: "XAB.info" --- # PlayStation cancels Fairgames shooter before release: Haven Interactive studio to support other teams ![Female character with distinctive face paint and cyberpunk elements in the style of the Fairgames title](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/11/playstation-otmenila-shuter-fairgames/playstation-otmenila-shuter-fairgames-1.webp) ## Key Points - PlayStation has canceled the multiplayer shooter Fairgames by Haven Interactive Studios before its release. - The decision follows a closed beta test under the code name Project Espresso that failed to meet goals. - No layoffs are expected: the studio will be shifted to support other PlayStation teams. - The cancellation is also linked to the challenging market for PvP shooters. - Fairgames is part of PlayStation's failing initiative to release 12 live-service games by 2026. The multiplayer heist shooter **Fairgames**, developed by the Canadian studio Haven Interactive Studios, has officially joined the list of canceled live-service projects by Sony Interactive Entertainment — all before its official release. This was reported in an exclusive piece by Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier. According to his sources, the decision to cancel was made after a recent closed beta test failed to meet PlayStation's expectations. Notably, there will be no mass layoffs: the studio will remain open but will be transitioned to support other internal teams. ### From the 2023 announcement to a fake code name As a reminder, Fairgames was first revealed to the public in May 2023. Since then, the project virtually disappeared from view: there were no public showcases or detailed updates, which in itself fueled rumors about its status. However, this fall, the game surfaced in closed testing under a fake code name — **Project Espresso**. According to Bloomberg, the results of these trials were the deciding factor in discontinuing development. ### Internal memo: testing failed to meet goals PlayStation Studios' Head of Live Services, Sean Decker, and Head of Production, John Doyle, admitted in a memo to studio staff that the recent Fairgames testing did not reach its objectives. "Given the challenging market landscape for PvP shooters, we have made the difficult decision to stop development," they explained in the internal letter. Thus, alongside internal quality assessments, Sony cited the external market context—a saturated and highly competitive niche of multiplayer shooters. ### Reworks, name changes, and platform shifts Fairgames was originally created for PC and PlayStation 5. Since the initial announcement, the project was repeatedly reworked: the team was preparing for a re-presentation of the game under a new title—presumably **Break In**. However, as sources note, fate had other plans, and the game never reached a second public unveiling—the decision to cancel followed instead. ### Part of a failed initiative: 12 services by 2026 The cancellation of Fairgames fits into a broader context: PlayStation's initiative to expand into live-service games, which aimed to release 12 projects by 2026, has largely been a failure. Fairgames serves as further proof that betting on the mass production of online multiplayer services has not yielded the expected results, and resources and teams will now be redistributed to benefit existing studios and projects. ### What's next for the studio The question of the future remains central for Haven Interactive employees. According to current data, no layoffs are planned, but the studio will be shifted to supporting other teams—meaning the team is effectively stripped of the ability to develop its own flagship project independently. For players, this means that Fairgames will not appear on PS5 and PC shelves in any form, and for the industry, it is yet another example of how major publishers are re-evaluating their live-service portfolios amid stiff competition and high maintenance costs. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [PlayStation отменила кооперативный боевик Fairgames — разработчиков не уволят, но и новые игры делать не дадут](https://3dnews.ru/1151131) - Source: Bloomberg exclusive (Jason Schreier) + internal memo quote from Sean Decker and John Doyle. Confirmed the cancellation of Fairgames, code name Project Espresso, no layoffs, the shift of the studio to support other teams, and the context of the 12-service initiative by 2026. ## FAQ ### Why did PlayStation cancel Fairgames? According to Bloomberg, the decision was made after a recent closed beta test (under the code name Project Espresso) failed to meet targets, and also in light of the difficult market for PvP shooters. ### Will Haven Interactive developers be laid off? No, there will be no mass layoffs. The studio is not closing but will be shifted to support other PlayStation teams. ### On which platforms was Fairgames supposed to be released? The game was being developed for PC and PlayStation 5. ### What is Project Espresso? It is a fake code name under which Fairgames underwent closed testing this fall.