PlayStation Studios boss insists upcoming live service games will target diverse ‘genres and scale’

PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst has discussed Sony’s push into live service games, and insisted that the multiple games it has in development will be diverse in terms of genres and target audience.

Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed last year that it’s planning to have 12 live service titles in the market by its fiscal year ending in March 2026 – up from three during its previous business year.

This marks a significant pivot for the platform holder, which is best known for its blockbuster single-player games like God of War and The Last of Us (which it says it will continue to create alongside online projects).

Speaking to GI.biz, Hulst claimed that even though SIE has a significant number of live service games planned for the coming years, that doesn’t mean they’ll all be modelled on Fortnite or Destiny.

“We understand the competitive environment that is out there, and the time investment from players that live services offer,” Hulst said. “And we want to deliver the highest quality games.

“There is a risk that we talk about ‘live service’ in generic terms – as if it is a single genre, or even a single business model. PlayStation Studios are making a variety of games that could be referred to as ‘live services’, targeting different genres, different release schedules, and at different scales.

“We are also creating games for different audiences, and I take confidence from our track record in creating worlds and stories that PlayStation fans love.”

Hulst was talking following the news that Sony has acquired Washington-based Firewalk Studios.

The developer, which was part of independent game company ProbablyMonsters, was already working in partnership with PlayStation on a yet-unannounced multiplayer IP, and yet SIE decided to acquire it even before its first release – just like with Haven Studios last year.

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“Every [studio] relationship has its own trajectory – in some cases we have worked with companies for many years as external partners before bringing them into SIE – in other instances an acquisition has come around more quickly,” Hulst explained.

“It depends on what the studio needs to grow and succeed, and what makes sense for both sides. We have been working closely with Firewalk for a while now – we have both really enjoyed that process, and we have incredible confidence in what they are creating. So this felt like a very natural step.”