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- Bend Studios, known best for making Days Gone, has laid off 30% of its staff following a cancelled live-service project earlier this year.
- The developers have now begun working on a new project, but details about it are currently unknown.
- It’s implausible for a new Days Gone title to be underway as the studio itself cancelled the sequel.
While PlayStation was best known for its approach towards cinematic single-player games, its focus has changed significantly during this console generation. Like every other publisher, PlayStation is committed to developing live-service games, which is the most disliked video game model in the industry.
Their live-service gamble didn’t work too well and backfired significantly. Among the six live-service games cancelled by Sony earlier this year, Bend Studios was developing one title. Now, the studio has decided to cut down its workforce by 30%.
Why it matters: PlayStation has some great talent under its helm, but the gaming giant has continuously failed to utilise their true potential. Back-to-back cancellations and layoffs have severely impacted the developers’ morale and deprived gamers of some great titles.
Sony's Bend studio, which canceled a live-service game earlier this year, is laying off 30% of staff today (around 40 people), Bloomberg News has learned. The studio has been spinning up a new project following the cancellation.
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) 2025-06-10T18:12:01.815Z
This report comes from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who reported that 40 people were affected by this layoff. While Bend Studios is a small team under PlayStation, their talent can’t be undermined, having made one of the best third-person open-world games for the last-gen.
Schreier confirmed that Bluepoint Games isn’t affected by layoffs and Bend Studios is the only casualty. Bluepoint Games, known for developing remakes and remasters, is working on a new unannounced title, which seems to be progressing well.
Beyond this, Bend Studios has begun working on a new title, although details about it are currently unknown. They recently released a remastered version of Days Gone, and remastering games is a practice common among Sony studios to gather sufficient financial resources before commencing a new project.
It’s highly unlikely that Bend Studios will work on a new Days Gone entry. A sequel was once in development but shelved by the studio itself. However, they’re still prevalent on making ‘cool sh*t‘ as per the studio’s community manager.
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[News Reporter]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
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