Sony said Wednesday that it won't release any new blockbuster PlayStation exclusives until at least early 2025. “While major projects are currently in development, we don't plan to release any new titles from existing major franchises next fiscal year as God of war Ragnarök and Marvel's Spider-Man”wrote Sony president Hiroki Totoki (through Polygon) in the company's third quarter of 2023 financial results. Sony's fiscal 2024 begins on April 1 and ends on March 31, 2025.
Instead, the PlayStation division will focus on third-party software sales, which Totoki expects to grow gradually. What's next from Square Enix Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches as a PS5 exclusive on February 29. Konami's Silent Hill 2 remake, a PS5 console exclusive that will also release on PC, is scheduled to arrive later this year. Other upcoming third-party stores include star sword and Rise of the Ronin.
Meanwhile, the platform-exclusive Wolverine game may not arrive until 2026 if leaked hack documents are any indication.
“We expect third-party software sales to continue to gradually expand due to the expansion of the PS5 installed base and the high level of user engagement,” Totoki wrote. Totoki will replace Jim Ryan as CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment in April.
As for why PlayStation ended up with such a long gap between first-party flagship games, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 launched in October 2023, leaving a gap of approximately 18 months or more – VGC reports that Totoki said on an earnings call (through a translator) that the company's creative teams can improve their development results.
“As far as the business goes, I think there is room for improvement,” Totoki said of his own studios after praising his creativity and vision. “And that has to do with how to use the money, the development schedule and how to fulfill the responsibility for development: those are my honest impressions. “I will continue to dialogue with people so we can find the right way to proceed.”
PS5 console sales, which reached 8.2 million units in the third quarter of 2023, fell short of their target in the quarter. The company has adjusted its projections for the fiscal year of PS5 sales from 25 million units sold to 21 million. Sony expects a gradual decline to continue. “With respect to the PS5 hardware, which will enter its fifth year since its launch, in part due to it entering the second half of the console cycle, our goal is to optimize sales with a greater emphasis on balance with profits , so we anticipate a gradual decline in unit sales from the next fiscal year onwards,” he wrote.
