Jeff Grubb: FairGame$ has been delayed internally to 2026
This is a lie, the game never has been planned to be released in 2025.
They founded the studio in 2021, had to spend some time building a team, making preproduction etc and after that to spend 4-9 years of production developing the game. In this case being a AAA GaaS new IP. Being a GaaS takes extra time, and being new IP takes extra time.
So having an initial 2026 release, taking only 5 years from studio foundation to game release would be already faster than usual, but still pretty realistic for a very experienced, productive and effective team like this one. A 2027 release would be more realistic.
But a 2025 planned release would mean 4 years from studio foundation to release, so only around 3 or 3.5 years of full production. Which is impossible for a AAA new IP, even less a GaaS one.
Wouldn't it be smarter for Sony to cancel Fairgames altogether if they think it will lose them money? They're looking at another year of development costs and to what end?
It wouldn't be smarter, it would be super stupid to cancel this game just because a random internet forum user didn't like a CG trailer.
This game is being made by people who were key in the creation of two AAA new IP blockbusters that back then broke records for new IP sales (Assassin's Creed and Watchdogs), plus participated on a third one (The Division) that also broke sales records. Also worked in many other new IPs that were either highly successful in sales or in reviews in addition to many other top selling AAA games and some GaaS (several Splinter Cell, Far Cry, For Honor, Rainbow Six Siege etc). At the same time, that leadership also saved failed projects from other teams and turned them into successful, very profitable projects.
That leadership also built and scaled these AAA studios very fast, and have been very efficient and productive putting them quickly to work on multiple big seller AAA games at the same time.
Most people from that staff that aren't in their management position are also lead/senior staff who worked together in multiple very successful AAA games.
Regarding its cost, with the revenue that 1st party games made outside PS (mostly in PC) only during 2024, Sony can fund the entire budget -not only 1 single year: all its preproduction + production years plus marketing- of 4 games like this one.
MLB The Show 21, 22, 23, 24, GT7, Destiny 2 development of the past couple years, Helldivers 2 have been profitable, and with that profit more than covered the loses of the failed Firewall Ultra and Concord.
Pretty likely Fairgame$ will be profitable too, as far as we know there's no reason to cancel it: some time ago both Hermen and Mark Cerny mentioned to be impressed by the team, because they were achieving milestones ahead of time and had an impressive gamedev tech and tools that was helping them be specially productive.
When SIE had to cut the fat, other games and studios didn't make the cut were axed: this one continued. Which means that it must be progressing well enough.
