Bend Studio recently posted an image of Rina Sawayama on its official Twitter account, wearing the same biker set-up worn by the game’s protagonist, Deacon St. John. Because of this, fans are wondering if a sequel to Days Gone will be announced soon.
Unfortunately, upon further investigation, Bend Studio isn’t the only studio posting marketing material for its iconic games.
PlayStation Playmakers, announced earlier this year, are a “dynamic talent network that will continue to evolve and grow,” Sony claims that the people included are part of its “journey to inspire gaming fans and prove the power of play.
Fueled up and ready to hit the Broken Road, @rinasawayama jumps on the Drifter bike to brave the dangerous world of Days Gone in the latest PlayStation Playmakers announcement. #Bend30 pic.twitter.com/bKky1eLSd8
— Bend Studio (@BendStudio) June 15, 2023
Even though the rumor is now officially debunked, fan forever for a sequel remains relentless, with debates, theories, and discussions persisting on platforms like Reddit. Even Days Gone’s director, which has since left Bend Studio, chimed in, as he recently revealed that a sequel would already have been on the market if given the green light. However, it’s important to remember that fan pressure doesn’t always translate to production decisions.
If a sequel were to be announced, it might differ significantly from what fans have envisioned. The original Days Gone was an anomaly within the AAA gaming space, as the entire script was penned by a person than a team. Now that John Garvin is working on a different project, a potential sequel to Days Gone is likely never going to happen. But, one thing is certain: if Days Gone 2 were to come to fruition, it wouldn’t lack material to build upon.
The original game concluded with an open ending, leaving a fertile ground for continuation. In the meantime, Days Gone continues to be playable on PS4 and PC, and thanks to backward compatibility, PS5 users can also immerse themselves in the post-apocalyptic world of Deacon St. John.
Going back to the topic of Days Gone, the game continues to see divisive opinions whenever it’s brought up. This is in light of the recent revelation that PlayStation Studios has a specific rating requirement from its first-party studios.
While it’s highly likely that this requirement is more of a guideline than a gold standard (Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales technically scored lower with critics), it does confirm that Sony, and other gaming companies, pay close attention to what critics are saying about their games, perhaps just as much as the audiences.
Days Gone isn’t listed on the list of best-selling PS4 games but another one of the game’s directors claims that it sold more than 8 million copies in 2020 – enough to put it within the ten-best-selling games on Sony’s eighth-generation console.
Despite its shaky start, Days Gone’s unique gameplay mechanics and narrative potential have cemented its place within the gaming community, proving that even the most criticized games can garner a devoted following.
Who knows? In a decade, Sony might decide to reboot it with a fresher and better perspective and improved management.
