By Sagar V. Mankar 
Bend Studio, the developer behind the popular action-adventure game Days Gone, recently faced a significant setback when Sony canceled their unannounced live-service game project. However, the studio’s spirit remains unbroken as they look forward to creating new experiences for gamers.
The cancellation came as part of Sony’s broader restructuring of its live-service game strategy after the massive failure of Concord. While specific details about Bend Studio’s canceled project remain under wraps, the news emerged alongside the cancellation of another live-service game at Bluepoint Games, as reported by Bloomberg last week.
Despite this setback, Sony has confirmed that Bend Studio will continue operating, providing reassurance about the developer’s future. In a heartening message to fans, Bend Studio’s community manager Kevin McAllister took to X/Twitter with an optimistic statement: “Thanks for the love and support everyone, especially to those that have reached out. P.S. We still plan on creating cool shit.”
For context, Bend Studio’s last release was Days Gone, which launched on PlayStation 4 in 2019 and later made its way to PC in 2021. The studio, known for its storytelling capabilities and open-world game design, has maintained a relatively quiet profile since then, presumably working on the now-canceled project.
Sony’s decision appears to be part of a larger learning process within the company, as explained by Sony president Hiroki Totoki in a recent financial call. The company is now focusing on implementing more thorough development evaluation processes and careful project assessment, suggesting that future projects at Bend Studio might undergo more rigorous testing phases before full development commitment.
While the specific direction of Bend Studio’s next project hasn’t been announced, Sony’s shift in strategy may indicate that the studio will return to its roots with single-player experiences like Days Gone.