Bend Studio isn’t working on Days Gone 2 but its next game could potentially be better.
Over the years, we’ve learned several things about what the first-party Sony studio has been working on, starting from the fact that it’s a “multiplayer game” that “builds upon the open-world systems of Days Gone.” This official reveal came as part of the studio’s unveiling of its new logo in June 2022, a year after it thanked fans for supporting Days Gone in its PC release. Since then, the studio and its current employees have started building up hype for their first post-Days Gone project.
Last year, Kevin McAllister, Bend Studio Community Manager, tried his best to avoid an accidental spoiler in response to the studio’s ex-game director, settling for teasing it as the “best Bend game yet” instead.
Now, a job listing drops the latest hint for the upcoming PlayStation title.
As described by the listing, the Lead Project Manager will join Bend Studio in creating its “next high-profile AAA title.” Half-way through, it says that part of the individual’s responsibility is to lead the studio through the “key phases of development”, including “live services.”
The term “live service” is referenced twice more in the listing, proving that Bend Studio is working on a live service title.
If we combine everything we’ve heard from the studio over the years, this is the best way to describe next Bend Studio title: like Days Gone but live service and without the zombies (or freakers, rather), possibly.
As the studio is only just hiring for a Chief Scrum Master – basically a mediator across various teams to make sure the development cycle follows the predetermined schedule – we can assume that the project is still in its early stages. But it’s possible the different teams are already in place to ramp up production after three years in the planning and pre-production stages. Thus, the studio now needs a facilitator so the development can move forward smoothly through production, testing, prelaunch, and so on.
The cancelation of The Last of Us Online and Twisted Metal, among several others, imply that Sony has set a high bar for its multi-billion-dollar undertaking. For Bend Studio’s title to make it this far in the pipeline implies that the higher-ups are pleased what they’ve seen so far.
Besides, it wasn’t too long ago that Sony trusted Bend Studio to reboot Uncharted, one of its most profitable video game franchises. This speaks a lot about Sony’s confidence in the studio following the departure of Jeff Ross.
Bend Studio isn’t the only first-party Sony studio working on a mystery project. God of War veteran Cory Barlog also recently teased Sony Santa Monica’s next game.
