Future of Haven Studios uncertain as founder Jade Raymond exits and Fairgame$ is delayed to 2026
The studio behind Fairgame$, Sony's next live-service title, has lost its founder. Could this be a sign of more bad news to come for Haven Studios?
Today, news was broken by Jason Schreier of Bloomberg that the founder and head of Haven Studios, the developer behind Sony’s upcoming live-service shooter, Fairgames, has left. Jade Raymond originally founded the studio in 2021. We have also learned that Fairgames has been delayed to Spring 2026 after previously aiming for a Fall 2025 release. This is another of Sony’s recent pushes for live-service shooter titles over the last few years, including Helldivers 2, Concord, and the upcoming Marathon.
Founder Jade Raymond leaves Haven Studio, Fairgames delayed to Spring 2026
Fairgames, sometimes stylized with a “$” instead of the “s,” is planned to be an online first-person shooter where players are tasked with robbing billionaires in elaborate heists. So far, we have not seen much of this upcoming title other than a cinematic trailer released in May 2023, nearly two years ago. According to Bloomberg, the news of Raymond’s departure comes shortly after Fairgames went through an external test. This is still planned to be Haven Studios’ first title.
Given the track record of Sony’s live-service titles in recent years, this is not an encouraging sign for this game. Helldivers 2 was a major success, but that was a deal Sony made with developer Arrowhead, not a studio directly owned by Sony. Firewalk’s Concord, which Sony owned, will go down in history as one of the most problematic game launches, considering it was removed from sale just two weeks after its release. Now, the gaming giant is gearing up for Bungie’s next attempt after Destiny 2, Marathon, which is planned to launch this September. The reception from ongoing playtests seems to be mixed at best.
Fairgames could still be released next year, but the head of a studio leaving like this cannot be a good sign. Concord's flop eventually resulted in its developer, Firewalk, being shut down. Many fans fear this could be a similar fate for Haven Studios. One user replied to Schreier’s post on BlueSky, saying, “I feel bad for the devs of that game. I hope they are reassigned instead of losing their jobs.” Sony has likely learned from its Concord mistake and will want to be sure that Fairgames is worth releasing. They won’t want another failed game in their record books.
But sadly, this seems to be the way many of these live-service games go these days. They are either a sudden and unexpected hit or they flounder until the studio is shut down. It has happened with nearly every major video game publisher, including Sony, Xbox, Ubisoft, EA, Warner Bros., and plenty of others. Hopefully, this isn’t the last we hear of this young studio.
