Skip to main content

Sony’s Bend Studio is working on a ‘very exciting’ new IP

Sony Bend Studio, the team behind Days Gone, is currently working on a new IP. It’s unknown exactly what kind of game it will be, but we did get a hint that it may feature an open world.

This news comes by way of Head of PlayStation Worldwide Studios Hermen Hulst, as part of an interview on the Official PlayStation Podcast, as well as a post on the PlayStation Blog. A lot was discussed, including the delay of the next God of War game and confirmation that it will appear on PS4, along with Gran Turismo 7 and the reveal that Bend Studio is in fact working on a new project.

In regard to Sony Bend, Hulst said: “Bend Studio is working on a very exciting new IP that they’re very, very passionate about. They’re building on the deep open-world systems that they developed with Days Gone. So I’m really happy for Bend Studio.”

This is especially exciting news as many of us were uncertain what the future of Bend Studio would look like following the reveal that a Days Gone sequel had not been greenlighted by Sony. Despite Days Gone selling appreciably, it wasn’t the smash hit Sony was hoping for compared to exclusives like Marvel’s Spider-Man, God of War, Bloodborne, and Horizon Zero Dawn.

During the discussion, Hulst also confirmed that new IP is important to Sony. “New IP is the lifeblood of gaming,” Hulst said. “But new IP is just one aspect of our strategy. Ultimately, I want PlayStation Studios to be fiercely daring, to take risks.”

Considering Days Gone shipped in 2019, it’s unlikely we’ll see Bend Studio’s new game in 2021, but it could be on track for release within the next couple of years.

Editors' Recommendations

Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers loves Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides…
PlayStation reveals new features and UI for its PS5 Access Controller
Sony's Project Leonardo controller sits on a table.

Sony revealed new details about its PlayStation 5 accessibility controller, which has been renamed from Project Leonardo to the Access Controller. A new blog post details what comes with the controller and offers a glimpse at the UI interface that players will use to customize it on the PS5.

Sony surprise revealed its "Project Leonardo" at CES earlier this year (Digital Trends named it the best gaming tech of the show). The circular pad features a unique design meant to make it easier for people with disabilities to customize controls to their needs. While it still doesn't have a price or release date, Sony has opened a new website for its newly renamed Access Controller and shared new details on it.

Read more
3 big things I need to see from the next PlayStation Showcase
Peter and Miles from Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

It’s that time of the year again when industry insiders are teasing that a big PlayStation Showcase will happen around June. A third-party focused State of Play happened in 2022, but now Video Games Chronicle’s Andy Robinson and Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb are both suggesting that a more first-party oriented "Showcase" could be on the way sometime during the next month, potentially during the week of May 25.
PlayStation has had a rough start to 2023, with console exclusive Forspoken garnering mixed reviews, the PlayStation VR2 impressing critics while underperforming in sales, and The Last of Us Part 1’s PC port being broken at launch. With only Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 confirmed to be on the horizon for 2023, Sony has a lot to prove during its next showcase. There are three specific things I need to see from Sony if that PlayStation Showcase does come to fruition.
Give PSVR2 purpose
The PlayStation VR2 is an impressive piece of virtual reality technology, but it lacks killer apps outside of Horizon: Call of the Mountain. New game releases for the headset have been slow since its February 2022 launch, which is likely why the $550 headset has underperformed. Sony has opted to mainly relegate PSVR2 to State of Plays or PlayStation Blog posts, but it needs to revitalize excitement for the platform by giving some of its games a spotlight in a big PlayStation Showcase.

Hopefully, there’s more on the way in terms of new AAA VR exclusives from first-party studios, as well as much-demanded ports like Half-Life: Alyx. Already announced PSVR2 games like Journey to Foundation and Synapse could also use release dates. A PlayStation Showcase is the perfect time for Sony to put out a clear road map for PSVR2’s future game library, just as the September 2021 PlayStation did for PS5. Give me a reason to strap on that headset yet again.
Flesh out the system’s 2023 exclusives lineup
PS5 needs a strong lineup for this fall as well. With the exception of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, things look pretty barren for PS5 this year after the launch of Final Fantasy XVI. Several previously announced PS5 games still lack concrete release dates and could arrive in the second half of this year. It’d be nice to get a clearer picture of Sony’s PS5 game lineup for the rest of the year; hopefully, it includes titles like Stellar Blade, the Silent Hill 2 remake, Lost Soul Aside, Death Stranding 2, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Read more
The best PS5 exclusives
Kratos sternly looks at Atreus in God of War: Ragnarok.

The PlayStation 5 has been out for a while, bringing us next-generation visuals, faster load times, and a slew of new features that have blown our socks off. Of course, all of these features are welcome, but the real stars of the show are the PS5's games. What good is a new console if there are no games to play on it? Luckily, Sony's next-generation system has you covered with lots of exclusives, ranging from wacky family-friendly adventures to experiences of superhuman proportions and even challenging action RPGs.

Since the PS5 is still only a few years old, its list of exclusives isn't massive, but there are still several you absolutely need to check out. In this guide, we'll round up the very best exclusive games the system has to offer. The PS5's exclusive library will undoubtedly grow throughout its life cycle, and we will update this article accordingly as more games come out.

Read more