Days Gone was a big deal for Bend Studio. It was their first new IP in over a decade, a bold step forward for the team best known for the Syphon Filter series. The Oregon-based studio poured six years into developing this ambitious open-world action-adventure, even expanding its workforce to bring the project to life. Leading up to its launch, excitement was high—both within the studio and among fans. Sony had a lot of faith in Days Gone too, featuring it twice at their legendary E3 2016 conference. It was clear they believed this game had the potential to be a major hit.

But when Days Gone finally dropped in early 2019, things didn’t go quite as planned. The game was met with mixed reviews, landing an underwhelming 72 on OpenCritic. Unlike Sony’s other blockbuster exclusives, which often scored in the high 80s and 90s, Days Gone struggled to impress critics. It lacked the universal praise of titles like God of War and The Last of Us Part II. However, despite the lukewarm critical reception, the game found a passionate fanbase. It sold millions of copies across PS4 and PC, earning cult classic status. And now, it’s about to get a second chance on PlayStation 5.

Days Gone is Getting a Fresh Start on PS5

A Remaster Packed with New Features

During the latest PlayStation State of Play, Sony announced that Days Gone would be making its way to the PlayStation 5 with a remastered edition set to release on April 25, 2025. This isn’t just a simple graphical upgrade; the remaster comes with a handful of new modes and enhancements.

Days Gone Remastered will include a permadeath mode, a horde assault mode (where players take on endless waves of Freakers), and a speedrun mode for those who want to challenge themselves. Visual improvements are also expected, making an already beautiful game look even better on next-gen hardware. For those who already own the game, the remaster will be available as a $10 upgrade. If you’re buying it fresh, it’ll cost $50.

While these additions are nice, the announcement has left a lot of fans feeling conflicted. Sure, a remaster is great—but what people really wanted was a sequel.

Fans Wanted Days Gone 2, Not a Remaster

Even with the added content, this remaster isn’t exactly what most players were hoping for. Days Gone may be six years old, but thanks to a 2020 patch, it already runs at 60 FPS with dynamic 4K resolution on PS5. The original still holds up remarkably well, so an updated version doesn’t feel all that necessary.

Instead, fans were hoping for Days Gone 2—a full-fledged sequel that could have built on the potential of the first game.

Days Gone 2 Was Once in the Works—Could It Still Happen?

Bend Studio actually had plans for a sequel at one point. According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, the team pitched Days Gone 2 to Sony shortly after the first game’s release. But Sony wasn’t interested.

Despite solid sales, Sony reportedly saw Days Gone as a disappointment. The game’s mixed reviews and difficult development process likely played a big role in their decision to pass on a sequel. Instead of continuing the franchise, Bend Studio was assigned to work on a new live-service multiplayer project. Unfortunately, that game was also canceled earlier this year.

For now, Bend Studio’s future remains uncertain. They aren’t publicly working on any known projects, which raises an interesting question: Could the success of Days Gone Remastered bring back the possibility of a sequel?

Could the Remaster Lead to a Sequel?

At the very least, the remaster proves that Sony hasn’t completely abandoned Days Gone. And if it sells well, it might just convince them to greenlight Days Gone 2. Given that Bend Studio currently has no announced projects, there’s a chance they could return to the franchise if the demand is strong enough.

Of course, this is all speculation for now. But if you’re a fan of Days Gone and want to see a sequel, picking up the remaster might be the best way to show Sony that there’s still an audience for this world. Until then, the future of Days Gone remains a mystery.