For a while, fans have been begging Bend Studio for a Days Gone sequel. This isn't surprising, as the game leaves players feeling as though there is more to come. Dismayingly, all evidence suggests that a sequel isn't in the cards anytime soon, and the situation has been made worse by former Bend Studio developer John Garvin.Although Garvin no longer works at Bend Studio, he co-directed Days Gone with Jeff Ross. His penchant for making controversial statements has marred the IP, making Sony more unlikely than ever to give the green light to a sequel, a decision that would leave many fans in disarray. Still, the likelihood of Days Gone 2 happening remains at an all-time low.
The Turbulent Launch and Post-Launch of Days Gone
Bend Studio is a first-party Sony studio that offered its own take on horror genre zombies with Days Gone. Released in 2019, the game features a biker named Deacon St John as he attempts to survive and find his wife in a world terrorized by terrible creatures called Freakers. It sets itself apart from the slew of other zombie games by featuring hordes of zombies that players have to try and thin down. Furthermore, Deacon's motorbike forms a huge part of gameplay, and players have to maintain it and ensure it is always stocked up with fuel.
Days Gone ends on a cliffhanger, suggesting that the story is far from over and that even bigger events are about to unfold. Although it does seem like developers had plans in mind, evidence suggests that the idea for a Days Gone sequel was shot down by Sony. On some level, it is understandable, as the game received lukewarm reviews upon release, in part thanks to performance issues that plagued the game at launch. However, the PS5 upgrade demonstrated that when running on good hardware, the base gameplay is addictive and could serve as a good basis for a video game series.
Although Sony wasn't too keen on a sequel, this doesn't mean that the company could not change its mind in the future. This could have been caused, for example, by loud calls from fans begging for a new Days Gone title. However, the chances of that happening have been squashed to nearly zero due to comments made by Garvin.
Days Gone, Bend Studio, and John Garvin
Garvin has been at Bend Studio for many years, leaving after the release of Days Gone. He is currently busy with his studio called Liithos which is developing a new IP called Ashfall. Recently, on Twitter, he listed some reasons why critics didn't warm up to Days Gone. In his list of three reasons, he did acknowledge that the game was glitchy at launch. However, he also argued that Days Gone was the victim of woke reviewers, in the sense that the protagonist's ethnicity and the way he treats his wife in the game were too much for them. The backlash following the Tweet has been harsh, and Garvin has since deleted it. This is not the first time Garvin has caused Days Gone-related controversy, as he had previously implied that a sequel would not be coming because Days Gone wasn't financially successful enough and that gamers should buy games at full price.
In response, Bend Studio released a statement making it clear that it does not stand behind Garvin's views. Although Bend Studio has distanced itself from Days Gone's director, Garvin and his comments have been enough to cause a stir. Unfortunately, it had to happen to a game that was already not in Sony's good graces, which is why it was likely the final nail in the coffin for a Days Gone sequel.
With franchises like God of War, The Last of Us, and Ghost of Tsushima thriving, Sony probably doesn't have its sights on Deacon St. John at present. It is a pity that Bend Studio's Days Gone sequel will likely never be seen, as it sounds like developers had big ideas in mind. According to Ross, the sequel would feature co-op in a shared universe. It seems this is one idea that gamers will never get to experience.
Days Gone is available on PC and PS4.
