Currently, Sony"s first-party PlayStation games lineup is largely known for being massively successful story-driven single-player experiences, a reputation that has been built thanks to years of award-winning releases. However, this won"t be the main focus of the company going forward, as in an earnings call today (via VGC), Sony revealed it has plans to push out at least 10 live service games by March, 2026.
The newly announced $3.6 billion worth deal to acquire Bungie will be a large part of this new push, with chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki saying the studio"s background in live-service elements will be useful for Sony"s other studios to learn from. Bungie is also said to be working on a “major new IP”, which could be one of these 10 games, and should be a multi-platform release if recent announcements are anything to go by.
Major publishers like Microsoft, EA, and Ubisoft have all already jumped into the live service side, with everything from racers and adventure games to shooters gaining the long-term "Games as a Service" treatment.
It will be interesting to see what IPs Sony utilizes for these live service ventures. Multiplayer games set in the Marvel or Horizon universe are not unlikely. More acquisitions may also be incoming to bolster Sony"s live service game development side.