According to a recent job listing by Sony Entertainment Global, Sony Bend Studio (the developers behind titles such as Days Gone and Syphon Filter) may be beginning development on a new live service title.
While the studio has been near radio silent since the release of their hit 2019 title Days Gone, there have been recent signs that a new game would be starting development soon. As indicated by a tweet from the company on January 2, 2024, by the company’s official Twitter stating that they were “cooking” something
We cooking — Bend Studio (@BendStudio) January 2, 2024
The job listing is for a Lead Project Manager who can take a leadership role and assist in the development of a new AAA game title. While the job listing offers few details on the contents of this title, the various responsibilities listed make it clear that it will be a live-service title. With various job responsibilities such as the the “Ability to plan and track release schedules against the defined live roadmap.” Being required in the applying process.
In addition to this, two of the job requirements and additional info on the website explicitly list that experience in developing live service titles is required for this job.
This shift In direction to a live service title has caused many fans of the studio to worry for Bend’s future. Both because many single-player game studios that have been forced into creating live services that degrade the quality of their games and because recent Sony layoffs have been targeted at studios who develop live service titles for them.
One can only hope that Bend Studio doesn’t fall victim to this recent trend in the AAA gaming industry. For now, though we can only wait in anticipation as the game may only be early in development.
The full job listing can be read and applied to via Greenhouse Boards.