New Days Gone news has some PS4 and PS5 fans worried, or more specifically, worried about not seeing a sequel to the new IP that Sony Bend debuted on the PS4 to a mixed reception. This week, it was revealed that the writer and director of the game and the game director of the game, John Garvin and Jeff Ross, have left Sony Bend, after many years with the studio. Of course, while the series could live on beyond Garvin and Ross, it’s two massive departures that not only cast doubt on a sequel being made, but the quality and authenticity of said sequel.
Taking to Twitter, Garvin revealed that’s he’s actually been out of Sony Bend since Days Gone shipped in April 2019. Before leaving, he had been with the developer for over 20 years. In addition to Days Gone, Garvin also penned and directed Syphon Filter, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Resistance: Retribution.
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“Hi all, a quick announcement: I haven’t spoken about this before for various reasons, but I’m no longer with Bend Studio and haven’t been for over a year,” wrote Garvin on Twitter. “Since Days Gone shipped, I’ve been focusing on personal projects: painting, writing, publishing, and generally, enjoying a break from the game industry. For those that don’t know, I moved to Bend, Oregon in 1997, and began work as art director for Eidetic, a tiny 12 person studio headed by the legendary Marc Blank (creator of Zork). Over the past two decades, I helped the studio grow into a major developer, now part of the Sony family. Along the way, I wrote and directed every game from Syphon Filter through Days Gone, including two of my favourites, Resistance: Retribution, and Uncharted Golden Abyss.”
Garvin continued, thanking those at Sony, Sony Bend, and everyone who helped him and was beside him during his time with the former. Further, Garvin thanked the fans of his games.
Adding to Garvin’s announcement, game director on Days Gone, Jeff Ross, also announced that this will be his last week with the studio he’s also been at for many years.
This week is my last at PlayStation and Bend Studio,” said Ross. “I’m incredibly proud of all the games I got to make, but also looking forward to new challenges ahead. I’ll post about my plans later, but I’ll be moving to Chicago once COVID calms down.”
For now, it remains to be seen what happens with Days Gone. At the moment of publishing, a sequel has not been announced, but one is believed to be in development. However, even if it is, there’s no doubt that its development will feel these two substantial departures.
