At a recent investor briefing, Sony revealed that it has 12 live service games in active development, and we can expect to see all of them up and running by the end of the 2025 fiscal year. The Japanese gaming giant has also detailed how it plans to implement Destiny 2 developer Bungie into its future live service plans, pending the completion of its high-profile acquisition.
Laying out the full integration plan post-acquisition in its presentation, Sony intends to use Bungie’s “live services expertise” to benefit the entire PlayStation Studios roster and to help build a “live services Center of Excellence”. The expectation is that Bungie will provide developmental support on the upcoming roster of free-to-play games within a year of acquisition.
Of the 12 titles, Sony considers MLB The Show 22 to be its only currently released live service game. The report hints that another two titles are due to be released before the end of the 2022 fiscal year, though it has not been revealed yet what these two titles could be. With Summer Game Fest just around the corner, however, it could only be a matter of time before we find out.
According to VGC, Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan stated that “Destiny is not included in the three games slated for FY22. The two others are yet to be announced.” This does not preclude Destiny 2 and other potentially unrevealed projects from Bungie from being counted in the wider 12 live service games, but it does mean that there is not likely to be another big release from the company until the next fiscal year.
One of the unrevealed projects is likely coming from Haven Studios, a Montréal-based company Sony announced the pending acquisition of in March, and one that has been outlined in the investor briefing as a “live services developer”. Other projects may include the rumoured multiplayer spin-off of The Last of Us Part II or the rumoured new multiplayer project from Guerrilla Games.
Sony also expects up to 55% of its PlayStation 5 revenue to come from live services by FY25, showing that the company is betting big on the gaming trend. The company also expects new IP to make up to 50% of its catalogue in that same span of time, suggesting many of the 12 live service projects will not be based on existing franchises. Sony has even included the PlayStation 4 in its future live service plans too, so those hoping for PS4 new games can still expect big things coming to the console.