Sony`s journey into live-service video games has been met with both triumphs and setbacks, as candidly admitted by Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao during a recent earnings briefing. While **Helldivers 2** stands out as a significant success, not all releases have fared as well, with **Concord** being cited as a particularly high-profile failure.
Tao acknowledged that the transition hasn`t been “entirely smooth” but underscored the substantial progress made over the past half-decade. He noted that five years ago, live-service titles were “almost non-existent” within PlayStation Studios, emphasizing the considerable change since then.
The company remains committed to refining its live-service approach, with Tao stressing the ongoing effort to resolve “many issues.” The goal is to learn from past errors to ensure future live-service content is launched with “less waste and it`s more smooth.”
Currently, several live-service titles are performing well and consistently contributing to Sony`s financial results. These include the highly successful **Helldivers 2**, **MLB The Show 26**, **Gran Turismo 7**, and **Destiny 2**, which are all described as stably boosting sales and profits.
However, upcoming projects face their own challenges. **Marathon**, a highly anticipated live-service game from Bungie, has been surrounded by “somewhat negative news.” Initial hands-on previews were not overwhelmingly positive, and the discovery of stolen artwork led to an indefinite delay. While the game is still provisionally aimed for a release by the end of March 2026, Tao explicitly stated that “this is not a commitment.” This follows Sony boss Hermen Hulst`s earlier assertion that lessons from **Concord`s** rapid shutdown (launched in August 2024, quickly closed, and developer Firewalk shuttered) would prevent a similar fate for **Marathon**.
Another live-service title in the pipeline, **Fairgame$**, is also reportedly encountering difficulties, including the recent departure of its studio head and delays attributed to poor feedback from testing sessions.
Sony`s initial ambitious vision for its live-service portfolio has been significantly scaled back. The company once planned for a dozen such projects but has since reduced that number by half. Notable cancellations include **The Last of Us Online** and a rumored live-service **God of War** game.
Sony`s live-service games are currently available across PC and PlayStation 5, with further expansion planned as evidenced by **Helldivers 2** heading to Xbox, indicating a broader multi-platform strategy.