PS5 Exclusive Shooter Rumored to Be Canceled
A new PlayStation 5 shooter has reportedly been canceled. PlayStation arguably has some of the best exclusives out there and this isn't some fuel for console wars. Uncharted, The Last of Us, God of War, and Spider-Man all help make a line-up that is generation defining. With much more on the way like Marvel's Wolverine, it's clear Sony is really leaning into its reputation of having world class first-party titles. However, it has been a while since Sony kickstarted a big new franchise that it can market as an exclusive. Horizon and Ghost of Tsushima are probably some of the biggest, most recent examples, but there hasn't really been one made in mind for PS5.
With that said, it seems like a possible candidate for that was reportedly just canceled. According to Twitter insider @bogorad222, Rocket Arena developer Final Strike Games canceled a brand new PS5 shooter. The game was supposedly in development for three years, but wasn't expected to release for another two years. It's possible that would've meant a reveal would've happened at the PlayStation Showcase (or could still happen, if this rumor turns out to be false). This reportedly happened after Final Strike experienced a round of layoffs, something that just impacted another PlayStation studio, Pixelopus. The latter studio will soon shut down entirely. It's unclear what is sparking these decisions at PlayStation, but there have been a lot of layoffs and shake-ups in the tech industry since the start of 2023. Final Strike has reportedly reduced its headcount by 40%.
source: Developed who was laid off the from the studio
— Timur222 (@bogorad222) May 10, 2023
The company had a 40% reduction of headcount
As always, take these things with a grain of salt. Final Strike has been hiring for a PvP shooter for a while, but no one knows what it even is. It's entirely possible that this rumor turns out false, but as already mentioned, PlayStation has been slashing jobs in recent months and seemingly trying to focus on smaller studios so teams like Naughty Dog aren't impacted.
What do you think of PlayStation possibly canceling a new exclusive game? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
[H/T GamingBolt]