There’s no zombie-like resurrection coming: on Friday, Jeff Ross, the game director of Days Gone, revealed that a sequel would never be forthcoming as the publishers, Sony, were never truly “fans” of the franchise.
In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Ross explained that Days Gone’s discontinuation was a ‘purely portfolio-based’ decision. With the success of The Last of Us, a legendary zombie-themed hit, Sony felt that another game in the same genre was unnecessary. “They already had a zombie game, so why would they need the lesser-performing title.” he further explained.
Initially launched as a PlayStation exclusive in 2019 and ported to PC in 2021, Days Gone received a mixed reception. While some appreciated its unique approach, with the biker character straying from the typical zombie survival game protagonist type, many found the gameplay and story lacking. This mixed response likely also influenced Sony’s decision to cancel the sequel despite the many narrative questions left unanswered in the original. “We were just scratching the surface,” Ross said about the storyline.
The game director also went on to discuss sales figures, claiming Days Gone had sold eight million copies on PlayStation 4 by Jan. 6, 2022, with a million more sales on Steam after its port to PC.
He also blamed the higher-ups for downplaying the game compared to other PlayStation exclusives like Ghost of Tsushima. He said, “Local studio management always made us feel like it was a big disappointment,” reflecting on the poor treatment of the game despite hitting very good goals like other Sony titles. According to his recollections Days Gone surpassed the likes of Death Stranding—whose sequel is under development, supposedly set for a 2025 release. Kojima’s track record might have something to do with that, though.
Earlier this year, Days Gone fans were hopeful for a sequel to the game after the developers stated that they were “cooking,” but the response was in the context of an unrelated IP release. While the biker has taken the highway to hell, players will have other horror games to look forward to.
