After launching in the Spring of 2019 for the PlayStation 4, Days Gone has been getting a lot of attention from fans as of late. While being a PS4 exclusive, Sony announced that Days Gone would be following in the footsteps of Death Stranding and Horizon: Zero Dawn by going to the PC. The PC version of Days Gone comes packed with extra features, the announcement gave fans hope that another potential announcement was around the corner, confirming that Bend Studio is hard at work on a sequel.
Unfortunately, things took a turn last week when news broke that Bend Studio had met with Sony back in 2019 regarding a potential sequel. The studio's pitch was ultimately rejected due to the end product's largely mixed critical reception even though it has since become a beloved title for many fans. Reports indicated that the game's troubled development played a factor in the decision, with Sony looking to avoid more potential development issues while also maintaining its reputation for releasing critically acclaimed AAA games.
With a few days now gone after the initial reports, details surrounding the pitch have started to come to light. In fact, Days Gone director Jeff Ross was on David Jaffe's YouTube podcast where he revealed as much as he could about the ideas the studio had for a potential sequel.
Arguably, the biggest piece of the pitch was adding a co-op element, something Bend Studio wanted to originally add to the first game. The idea was cut early in development however, though with eyes on a sequel, the studio again wanted to make sure it was implemented. In fact, alongside the co-op element, Bend Studio also aimed to make Days Gone 2 into a shared universe experience.
Ross describes it as a way for players to take the world they've built and repurpose it for some sort of similarly themed multiplayer version. Ideas included people like Deacon trying to survive in this hostile world, building bases and structures, forming into groups, and working together to overcome enemies and obstacles.
...this world that you’ve built, and all these assets and systems, and repurpose them for some sort of similarly themed multiplayer version of this universe. So [it] would be with guys like Deacon trying to survive, building up a clubhouse or a crew. I think it would be fun to be in that world cooperatively and see what horde battles could be like.
It's worth noting that Ross no longer works at Bend Studio, though he confirms that leaving the company had nothing to do with the sequel or what the studio was working on. However, his openness regarding the "what ifs" of the project suggest that the game isn't likely being developed, at least not in the form described. Ross remains unable to confirm or deny whether or not a new game is in development and doesn't appear to be interested in being the "official source" considering neither Sony or Bend have commented to date.
For now, it's unknown what Bend Studio is currently working on. Alongside the Days Gone 2 pitch, word broke that the studio was assigned a new Uncharted game while also assisting Naughty Dog on a multiplayer project. Ultimately, it seems that Bend Studio asked to be taken off the project, fearing the studio would ultimately be absorbed into Naughty Dog similarly to what happened to Vicarious Visions and Blizzard. While Ross ultimately refutes the idea that this is what happened, it seems the studio ultimately expressed a desire to work on a new IP, a request which reports indicate was granted by Sony.
Days Gone is out now for PS4 with a PC version coming later this year.