Days Gone launched back in 2019, and while the game did not prove to be as popular with critics as other PlayStation exclusives, it still has a loyal following of fans. Unfortunately, Days Gone seems like it will be a one-and-done game despite Bend Studio pushing for a follow-up.
A recent report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier revealed that Bend Studio met with Sony about a potential Days Gone 2 back in 2019 after it had released. However, the idea was shot down, with Bend Studio being moved to a different project instead. While this will surely disappoint some fans due to the recent resurgence in Days Gone’s popularity, Schreier highlighted the legitimate reasons that Sony supposedly provided for shooting down another game in that world.
Per the report, Days Gone’s mixed review scores played a role, which is understandable considering how well other PlayStation exclusive games perform critically. Another factor was Days Gone’s troubled development, something that had been discussed heavily in the lead-up to release. With Sony wanting to avoid another troublesome development period while also maintaining its reputation as a publisher that puts out critically acclaimed AAA games, its apparent refusal of more Days Gone content is logical.
Following the disappointing Days Gone news, Bend Studio was supposedly tasked with working on a brand-new Uncharted game while simultaneously assisting with a multiplayer Naughty Dog project. According to the report, though, Bend asked to be removed from the Uncharted game. Fearing that they would become a part of Naughty Dog, the studio fought for the chance to work on a new IP instead of the Uncharted series — and it appears that it got its wish.
While it is unclear if this new Uncharted game is now being worked on somewhere else, it is made clear in the report that Bend Studio will no longer have any involvement with the project. Instead, it will be working on a fully original IP that is not related to Days Gone or Uncharted. While this is exciting, fans of the developer will need to wait a long time for information on the project, as it seems that development only began last month. With AAA games often taking years to develop, Bend Studio’s next project will likely not arrive until later on in the PS5 generation. Still, with no details provided as to what the game could be like, it will be interesting to see what it becomes.
Bend Studio has clearly had an interesting few years since Days Gone made its debut, though it does seem like the studio is finally working on a game that it actually wants to make. On the downside, it also appears that the PC release of Days Gone could be the last hoorah for the post-apocalyptic series.
Days Gone is out now for PS4 with a PC version coming later this year.
Source: Bloomberg