Summary
Days Gonedeveloper Bend Studio has been affected by layoffs, with roughly 30% of the studio’s staff being let go. The layoffs were made nearly two months after PlayStation and Bend Studio releasedDays Gone Remasteredfor PlayStation 5 on April 25, along with improvements and the Broken Road DLC for the existing PC version ofDays Gone.
The originalDays Gonewas released in 2019 for the PlayStation 4, and it proved to be a successful title with more than nine million copies sold worldwide.Days Goneis set in a post-apocalyptic version of Oregon after a zombie apocalypse, as protagonist Deacon St. John sets out on a quest to find his wife. Following the remaster’s launch,Days Gone Remasteredreceived positive reviews from criticsand earned an average critic score of 81 on OpenCritic. Further, Bend Studio released multiple post-launch updates to resolve some lingering bugs and issues, including a streaming issue that could occur during the “We Make This World What It Is” mission. The remaster is a more stable experience now as well, and the PC version’s Very Positive review rating on Steam shows that many players are happy with the current state ofDays Gone. However, not all has been well at Bend Studio, as the developers were hit with layoffs after the cancellation of their new live-service game.
Days Gonedeveloper Bend Studio has been hit with layoffs affecting 30% of the studio’s staff, or around 40 people, according to reputable Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier on Bluesky. According to Schreier, the layoffs came while the developers were spinning up a new project, followingthe cancellation of Bend Studio’s live-service game. Further details regarding the layoffs and Bend Studio’s new project were not disclosed, however.
Bend Studio Affected By Layoffs With 30% of Development Staff Being Let Go
The gaming community’s response to Bend Studio’s layoffs has been one of confusion and sadness for the developers, including fans who recently spent time playingDays Gone Remasteredon PS5. Some fans are hoping that Bend Studio’s next game will be a single-player title, while others hope the project is able to be fully realized, unlike the canceled live-service title.
As Bloomberg previously reported, Bend Studio’s live-service game was canceled alongsidea new live-service title from Bluepoint Games. Bluepoint Games' project was reportedly a live-serviceGod of Wargame. Following these cancellations, Sony worked closely with Bluepoint Games and Bend Studio to determine what their next projects would be while ensuring there was “minimal business impact” on Sony. What’s more, Sony reiterated its plans to continue making single-player and online games.
