Sony once had big plans for two of the PlayStation Vita’s most beloved titles—Freedom Wars and Soul Sacrifice. But in a recent revelation from former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida, it turns out both sequels were in development before being abruptly canceled as Sony shifted focus away from its handheld console.
Freedom Wars: A Promising Future Cut Short
Launched in 2014, Freedom Wars was hailed as one of the PS Vita’s best action RPGs, developed by Dimps and Japan Studio. With its futuristic setting, high-stakes battles, and deep co-op gameplay, it showed what the Vita was capable of at its best.
Plans for a sequel were already underway, according to Yoshida in a recent Sacred Symbols+ podcast appearance. However, just as the project was gaining momentum, Sony began pulling support from the Vita in favor of the PlayStation 4. This strategic pivot ultimately led to the cancellation of Freedom Wars 2, leaving fans without closure on its intriguing world.
Soul Sacrifice: Another ARPG Left Behind
Released in 2013, Soul Sacrifice was a dark, monster-slaying ARPG co-developed by Comcept and Marvelous AQL. Known for its unique moral choices and gothic style, the game carved out a loyal following. It even received an expanded version, Soul Sacrifice Delta.
As with Freedom Wars, a sequel was greenlit but later shelved, as Yoshida confirmed. The transition to PS4 development deprioritized handheld titles, dooming Soul Sacrifice’s potential follow-up before it could properly take shape.
The Bigger Picture: Sony’s Exit from the Vita Era
Sony released the PS Vita between 2011 and 2012 globally, but by 2015, the company had ceased developing first-party games for the platform. Despite the console’s cult status and some critical darlings, the Vita struggled to achieve commercial success, especially outside of Japan.
Yoshida’s comments give rare insight into how internal shifts at Sony led to creative projects being canceled, even those with strong fanbases and critical acclaim. These scrapped sequels highlight how quickly corporate strategy can change the course of a console’s legacy.
Will These Franchises Ever Return?
With renewed interest in remakes and portable gaming (thanks to the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch), fans still hold out hope. Though the original sequels may be gone, Freedom Wars and Soul Sacrifice still live on in memory—and maybe, one day, they’ll be resurrected on a future PlayStation handheld or cloud platform.