Bend Studio Lays Off 30% Staff After Live-Service Game Cancellation

Bend Studio, the developer behind Days Gone, has laid off roughly 30% of its staff, equating to about 40 employees, following the cancellation of an unannounced live-service game earlier this year. Despite the layoffs, Sony confirmed that Bend Studio is working on a new project and remains confident in its future and creative direction. The layoffs come after the release of Days Gone Remastered for PS5, which received positive reviews and improved stability. Bend Studio has a history of working on notable titles like Syphon Filter and Days Gone, but recent years have seen project cancellations and limited new releases, contributing to the studio's precarious situation. Industry-wide, similar layoffs have occurred at other developers, reflecting broader challenges in the gaming sector. Fans and industry observers have expressed concern over the reduced output of first-party PlayStation games amid these developments.