Sony Interactive Entertainment says that it has no plans to release any new games for major existing franchises before next year.
In a recent earnings briefing from the fiscal year 2023 (via Gematsu), Sony Group president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki said that the company won’t be making “any new major existing franchise titles next fiscal year.”
The next fiscal year is set to end on March 31, 2025, so big franchises like Marvel’s Spider-Man and God of War won’t be seeing any new releases until next year at the earliest.
Sony did make sure to note that, while “major existing franchise” releases won’t be happening, the PlayStation 5 will still be seeing regular game releases. They also noted that franchises like Until Dawn do not fit the criteria of “major” for the company, and that they still aim to continue to focus on producing high-quality works and developing live service games.
PlayStation 5 sales expected to decline
Alongside news of its gaming ventures, Totoki also spoke briefly about the future of the PlayStation 5. According to the Sony Group COO, the company expects to see PS5 sales gradually decline a bit as they look to “optimize sales with a greater emphasis on balance with profits.”
Totoki also noted that the PlayStation 5 was officially beginning to enter “the latter half” of its console cycle. While it’s unknown exactly what that means, rumors of a PlayStation 5 Pro have been floating around for almost two years now, with reports that the console will be a significant step up in power from its predecessor.
