Days Gone PS5 PlayStation 5 1

Days Gone 2 was not given the greenlight when pitched to Sony, according to a Bloomberg report. Despite the original game being successful and ultimately profitable, the Japanese giant pointed to the lukewarm critical reception and lengthy development cycle as a reason to skip on the sequel – which ultimately led to the departure of key creative leads, including long-time writer John Garvin.

The studio is currently working on a new game, although it’s had to fight for the opportunity it seems. According to the article by respected journalist Jason Schreier, one team was assigned to help Naughty Dog with a multiplayer game, which is presumably the upcoming The Last of Us Factions spin-off we know is in development.

Another team, apparently, was set to work on a new Uncharted game (surprise!) which is apparently also in development at Naughty Dog. Worried that they may eventually be absorbed into the juggernaut studio, Sony Bend fought to work on its own project, and has since been taken off the Uncharted game as recently as last month and given the opportunity to make something new. Exactly what that entails remains unclear.

It’s worth noting that this is just a report, and while it perfectly aligns with everything we’ve heard over the past 18 months, it is just one side of the story. Nevertheless, we have utmost faith in Schreier’s reporting, and it’s disappointing to learn that Days Gone wasn’t successful enough to earn a sequel, as we reckon the team was onto something.

If this report is accurate, though, it’s no surprise Japan Studio was shuttered; when big sellers like Days Gone can’t even get a sequel, then what hope did the likes of Siren: Blood Curse have? We’re interested to see what Sony Bend does next, but we’re a little bit bummed we’ve seen the last of Deacon St John – there was so much room for improvement in that franchise.

[source bloomberg.com]