Sony Reportedly Cancel Unannounced Sci-Fi Shooter for PS5, PC

Sony has reportedly cancelled an unannounced sci-fi shooter at Final Strike Games that was in development for three years for a PS5 and PC release, with the studio facing massive layoffs as a result.

That’s according to @bogorad222, an anonymous reporter familiar with some of the 40% of the staff reportedly laid off as part of the cancellation. Neither Final Strike or Sony have yet to confirm the news, but those within the studio have been announcing their departures on LinkedIn. The studio even recently moved into a new location.

Final Strike’s website lists an “Unnannounced New IP AAA PVP shooter for PC and Console” under their games, though does say that it’d been in development since 2021, meaning that it may have been more like two years instead of three before it was cancelled, though this might not include pre-production. The studio was founded in 2016 and developed the notoriously unsuccessful Rocket Arena before moving on to a supporting role on Fortnite. Their website even lists job openings, though those may no longer be open, for obvious reasons.

In 2022, it was rumoured that Final Strike were partnering with Deviation Games for something with Sony, which may actually be this game, meaning that Deviation could also be affected. In 2021, Deviation announced they were partnering with Sony on a new AAA IP, and First Strike may have been drafted in to assist with it, though this isn’t confirmed. We will update this with more as we hear it.

If true, it’s sad news for those looking for something new to play on PlayStation, but what’s most important to remember here is that ultimately people have lost their jobs. Here’s hoping everyone affected can bounce back soon. The same goes for Pixelopus, the creators of the excellent Concrete Genie and Entwined who announced their surprise closure earlier in May.

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