In a move that’s sent ripples through the PlayStation fanbase, Sony has reportedly axed two live service games still in development—one of which was rumoured to be a God of War spin-off.

The bombshell came courtesy of Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who revealed that Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games were the ones affected. A Sony spokesperson later confirmed the cancellations, attributing the decision to a “recent review” while emphasising that neither studio faces closure. “Bend and Bluepoint are valued members of the PlayStation Studios family, and we’re working closely with both teams on their next projects,” they reassured.

Bluepoint’s project has attracted the most attention, especially after Schreier doubled down on BlueSky, confirming it was a live service God of War title. It’s a bold, almost sacrilegious concept—reimagining Kratos’ epic tales as a multiplayer grindfest—but we’ll never know if it could have worked.

As for Bend Studio, the team behind 2019’s Days Gone—a game that split critics but earned a cult following—had already hinted at a live service direction. A March 2024 job listing sought a lead project manager with AAA live service experience, possibly tied to this ill-fated endeavour.

Bluepoint, on the other hand, has been synonymous with stunning remakes, from Shadow of the Colossus to Demon’s Souls. Acquired by Sony in 2021, the studio has remained eerily quiet since, apart from lending a hand with God of War Ragnarok. Bluepoint president Marco Thrush teased a shift to original content last June, but it seems this experiment with live service gaming won’t make the cut.

Sony’s live service ventures have had their share of highs and lows. Helldivers 2 proved to be a runaway hit in 2024, shifting 12 million copies in just three months. On the flip side, Concord was an unmitigated disaster, pulled from sale and taken offline a mere two weeks after launch.

While the idea of a God of War live service game is sure to ignite debate among fans, it’s clear Sony is taking a hard look at what works—and what doesn’t—in the increasingly volatile world of multiplayer games. For now, the axe falls, and we’re left wondering what could have been.