Days Gone developer's new game leaks but there's some bad news

Syphon Filter debuted in 1999 (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The next game from Sony’s Bend Studio may have been leaked, but it’s being described as a ‘AAA live service’ title.

While we know a sequel to Days Gone is definitely off the table, there’s still some mystery around what creator Bend Studio is working on at the moment. Especially as they reportedly were working on an Uncharted game, but no longer are.

The Sony-owned developer previously said its next project will be a new IP with multiplayer which ‘builds upon the open world systems of Days Gone’. Earlier this year, a job listing at the studio implied it would be a ‘AAA live service’ game.

It’s unclear if these plans have changed in light of Concord’s failure in the live service realm, but screenshots have made their way online appearing to show the project in question.

The images, shared by gaming website Mp1st, allegedly come from the online portfolio of an unnamed UI designer, who worked at Bend Studio from 2022 until March this year.

The images themselves appear to line up with the past descriptions, but they’re clearly from a very early stage in development. They show what appears to be a third person military-themed shooter, with a levelling up system and crafting elements to create new weapons.

According to the outlet, which also has access to test footage, it shows the character in what is described as a multiplayer arena. The clip apparently demonstrates a mechanic ‘where the weapon’s reticule pulses like a heartbeat when health reaches a low level’.

If it is a military shooter, it appears to have a futuristic theme too as ‘nanites’ are listed in the component materials to craft new guns. Another image also uses artwork for Days Gone as a placeholder, but it’s said to have no relation to its predecessor.

If anything, it more resembles the look of Bend Studio’s previous IP Syphon Filter, but as we know the studio is working on a new IP there may be no direct connection.

At the moment, it’s unclear if this is Bend Studio’s next game or a scrapped project, but it certainly whiffs of a live service game just from looking at the screenshots.

At one point, Sony planned to launch 12 internally developed live service games by 2026 but reports since suggest many of these have been cancelled, with only Bungie’s Marathon (which was not originally one of the 12), Fairgame$, and a Horizon multiplayer spin-off still known to exist.

There’s a chance Bend Studio’s live service title is still in development, but we’ll have to wait for an official announcement to see whether it actually does make the light of day.

While it’s unlikely we’ll hear about this shooter at The Game Awards on Friday, December 13, there are rumours around a potential reveal of Days Gone Remastered, which could happen instead.