- PlayStation has cancelled a total of 10 big games this generation compared to Xbox’s 5 titles.
- The former’s cancellations include titles like The Last of Us 2 Factions and Twisted Metal, while Xbox shut down Perfect Dark, Everwild, and more.
- Both gaming giants have also shut down various studios this generation.
Both PlayStation and Xbox have seen their fair share of layoffs recently. The latter most recently let go of thousands of developers, while PlayStation has had bursts of layoffs and studio closures since its major job cuts in early 2024.
This also means that various games have been cancelled by both gaming giants this generation, but PlayStation is in the lead so far. The former has cancelled twice as many games as Xbox.
Why it matters: Xbox’s cancellations have drawn a lot of criticism over the past month, but the gaming giant’s track record is not as bad as it may initially seem.
Many of PlayStation’s cancellations are directly related to its failing live-service ambitions, but the gaming giant has also cancelled a few single-player projects.
These cancellations span across major studios like Bungie, Bend Studio, Naughty Dog, and Bluepoint Games. Meanwhile, partner studios like Deviation Games were also impacted by the job cuts and abandoned projects. The following are the games PlayStation has cancelled since the beginning of this generation:
- The Last of Us 2 Factions
- Payback From Bungie
- Twisted Metal
- New IP From Deviation Games
- New IP From London Studio
- Spider-Man: The Great Web
- God of War Live Service Project
- Bend Studio Live Service Project
- Days Gone 2
- Bend and Naughty Dog Partner Project Expected To Be Uncharted 5
Reports of the last two projects have recently surfaced from a Bend Studio developer’s LinkedIn profile. As per his portfolio, the studio cancelled a total of three games after it launched Days Gone, one of which was the sequel to this title.
Over on Xbox’s side, most of the cancellations are quite recent. In addition to Blizzard’s Odyssey, which was cancelled shortly after Microsoft completed its purchase of Activision Blizzard, the gaming giant has cancelled four other games. The full list is mentioned below.
- Perfect Dark
- Contraband From Avalanche Studios
- Everwild From Rare
- Unannounced MMORPG From ZeniMax Online Studios
- Odyssey From Blizzard
Therefore, PlayStation has 10 cancellations to its name compared to Xbox’s 5.
As mentioned earlier, both gaming giants have also closed plenty of studios. On Xbox’s side, the likes of Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks were shut down last year. Meanwhile, PlayStation has closed teams like Japan Studios, PixelOpus, and Firewalk Studios.
What do you make of the games cancelled this generation? Do you think some of these games deserved to see the light of day? Let’s discuss in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.