Bend Studio, developer of Days Gone, has provided an update on its upcoming project, confirming its next game will be an open-world adventure based on a new IP - and it'll have multiplayer. PlayStation had previously announced that Bend Studio was working on a new IP back in June 2021, following Sony's rejection of a Days Gone sequel.
Bend Studio's open-world zombie title Days Gone follows ex-biker gang member Deacon St. John on a quest to find his wife Sarah, who he had previously believed to be dead. Days Gone has gathered a loyal fanbase over the years since its PS4 release in 2019, and later went on to receive a PC port. However, critics didn't respond too favorably to the title. Due to the lack of strongly positive reviews, Sony rejected Bend Studio's pitch for a sequel, which sparked a petition where over 150,000 fans tried to change the company's mind. Unfortunately, it would seem this petition for a Days Gone 2 didn't work, which has led to Bend Studio developing a completely new IP instead.
Not much news had previously been given about what Bend Studio's new game would entail other than confirmation that it would build upon the open-world systems of Days Gone, but an update has finally come via a new PlayStation Blog, shared by Bend Studio on Twitter. The blog unveiled Bend Studio's new logo, gave an insight into the future of the Sony-owned studio, and recapped its 29 years in the industry. Reaffirming the game is a new IP and open-world, the studio also revealed it will include multiplayer, which already sets it apart from Bend Studio's past games which were predominantly single-player experiences. The blog explains:
"Today, we are excited to share just a snippet of news on our current project. We are currently working on a new IP that includes multiplayer and builds upon the open-world systems of Days Gone, but brings you a whole new world that we are extremely excited to craft for you. We cannot wait to reveal it to you when the time is right."
Another game from Bend Studio, Syphon Filter, is due to come to the new PS Plus model later this month as the first wave of classic PlayStation titles to come to the service, now with additional features such as Trophies. The tactical stealth series was released between the 1990s and 2000s, at a time when tactical espionage and stealth games were more popular on the market. Despite there still being an audience for stealth games, as is evident by the fan demand for a new Splinter Cell game, the genre is not one many AAA developers have returned to in recent years. Whether Bend Studio incorporates any features from the Syphon Filter series into its new project is yet to be seen.
Although details surrounding Bend Studio's new project are still being kept mostly under wraps, what has been offered up should intrigue fans of the developer's work. Multiplayer is a component some fans have stated would have been a fun mode in Days Gone, as the idea of being able to tackle the zombie-infested world with a fellow biker could have opened up a whole realm of new gameplay possibilities. One of the things fans responded well to was Days Gone's open-world, in which hordes of zombies could descend upon a player at any given moment to create a constant sense of tension and dread, so it will be interesting to see how Bend Studio continues to expand upon these open-world mechanics going forward.
Source: Bend Studio/Twitter, PlayStation Blog