Days Gone 2 has reportedly been canceled by Sony, with an expected PS5 sequel allegedly never leaving its pitch phase. Despite the original game being a commercial success, it is claimed that developer Sony Bend have been unable to get its follow-up off the ground.
Why was Days Gone 2 canceled?
It’s rare that a popular game doesn’t receive a sequel these days, but it seems that will be the case for Days Gone. According to a Bloomberg report, Days Gone 2 was pitched in 2019 before being rejected by higher-ups. While the original was financially profitable, its lengthy development cycle and mixed critical reception caused a risk-averse Sony to decide against its successor.
The report claims that Sony is now only focusing on its “big hits,” with a fixation on teams such as Naughty Dog that reliably produce blockbusters. However, it is suggested that this is causing problems internally, given that this decision can stifle creativity by not allowing developers to work on smaller projects.
Days Gone 2 allegedly failing to move beyond the pitching stage is evidence of Sony’s new approach, given that the game was the top-selling PS4 exclusive on PlayStation Network in 2019. While it received a moderate response critically, the game was widely praised after a series of important updates, with it experiencing a long shelf-life for a single-player game as a result.
However, it seems that Sony is focusing on fewer games that it believes will experience exponential success, rather than several potentially profitable projects that carry more risk. This has allegedly led to high turnover internally, with developers being funneled into studios such as Naughty Dog that consistently deliver blockbusters, rather than getting to work on their own projects.
It’s a troubling report considering PlayStation’s long history of releasing smaller, creative games that wouldn’t necessarily be released on other platforms. Hopefully, Sony’s pursuit of giant blockbusters such as The Last of Us and Uncharted doesn’t completely put an end to other PS5 exclusives that don’t fit the blockbuster mold.
In other news, a PS5 error that deletes all stored data on the console has terrified its owners. The horror game Abandoned was also recently revealed, with viewers speculating that it’s the next Hideo Kojima project.
