Haven Studios Reportedly in Talks to Support Bungie on Destiny

PlayStation has officially canceled Fairgame$, the online shooter that had been in the works at Haven Studios, its Montreal-based subsidiary, for years. The project, which also went by code names like "Espresso," was shut down after a recent test failed to meet Sony's goals. What stands out, though, is that the cancellation of Fairgame$ isn't coming with any job cuts.

According to an insider who broke the story, a company spokesperson said the studio will now focus on collaborating with other development teams across PlayStation Studios, while also exploring new creative opportunities. That's where the Fairgame$ speculation kicks in. An insider has suggested the team behind Fairgame$ could be repurposed to support Bungie.

The source later followed up, saying that the idea of the Montreal team helping out is at least being discussed and may be further along by now.

Nothing is confirmed yet, but if it happens, it would put a large group of experienced multiplayer developers on a series with a big audience that's been asking for more content. There are a few ways this could play out. The studio could help keep Destiny 2 running, or the shuffle could go further, with Bungie's Marathon team moving back to its flagship series and the former Fairgame$ developers stepping in on Marathon.

That arrangement is only speculation for now. The Marathon maker has been shifting gears too. Pete Parsons has left the company, and the new leadership has a timeline in place and has been talking about new projects tied to the franchise.

Even though Destiny 2 announced an end of service, it hasn't fully gone dark. The studio is still supporting it and bringing back old sunset content, and there's also a rumor about something called Destiny Legacy. Some fans hope extra hands could mean modes like Trials return or show up more often.

If you look at Sony's track record in the live-service space, this move makes sense. Helldivers 2 was a major hit, but it came from an outside studio. Concord was pulled just a week after launch. The Last of Us Online, Spider-Man: The Great Web, the Twisted Metal reboot, a Bend Studio project, a Deviation Games IP, a God of War online game, and Project Camden all got canceled, and now Fairgame$ is on the pile too.

Bluepoint and London Studio were both closed down.

Marathon is still running, though it never came close to its predecessor's strength. Horizon Hunters Gathering rebooted after a string of bad playtests, and it's due for another look this December. Back on August 19, reports said it had problems and needed a major overhaul.

Haven Studios was founded by Jade Raymond and is based in Canada, and Fairgame$ was announced in 2023 as part of PlayStation's broader live-service push. Former boss Jim Ryan wanted around 20 live-service games in development at once. He's since left, and Hiroki Totoki, Hermen Hulst, and Hideaki Nishino now lead the company.

In an email to employees on Tuesday, executives Sean Decker and John Doyle explained the decision. They said a recent test of Fairgame$ with thousands of players showed strong operational excellence, live ops readiness, and community engagement.

However, player feedback and retention were mixed and fell short of the company's targets. Combined with tough market conditions in the PvP shooter genre, they said they made the difficult call to stop development. For many people, the decision to drop Fairgame$ felt overdue. The code names and gameplay never landed, and the project drew plenty of negative reactions over time.

Still, the outcome is better than it could have been. The studio stays open, no one is laid off, and the team has the multiplayer and technical experience to support another game. If Bungie's plan goes ahead, the end of Fairgame$ could mean more Destiny, not less. For now, you'll have to wait for Sony to confirm where Haven Studios goes next.