If you’re still hoping to see Deacon St. John speeding through the zombie-ridden forests of Oregon once again, you’re not alone. Days Gone might not have reached the same critical acclaim as other PlayStation exclusives, but there is a loyal fanbase who can’t get enough of its gritty, open-world take on the apocalypse. So, with rumors swirling about a potential Days Gone remaster, we have to ask: could revisiting the original game breathe new life into the possibility of a sequel? Let’s break it down.
The Good, the Bad, and the Buggy
Days Gone didn’t have the smoothest of launches. When it hit shelves in 2019, it was rough around the edges, to put it mildly—bugs, glitches, and performance issues. But even with the rocky start, fans rallied behind it. Here was a game with a compelling storyline, intense zombie hordes, and a sprawling map that let you play the lone-wolf biker in an overrun world by Freakers. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ambitious.
And despite the mixed reviews, Days Gone sold over 7 million copies by 2022—a respectable number by any standard. Yet, Sony has been oddly silent about the franchise’s future. For a game that ended on a juicy cliffhanger, fans have been left hanging without a hint of what might come next.
Remaster Rumors: Will Deacon Ride Again?
Rumors of a PS5 remaster for Days Gone have been floating over the web for quite some time, and this spark got a push after Sony’s September State of Play event came and went with no mention of our favorite motorcycle-riding survivor. The discussion started when industry insider Jeff Grubb of the Game Mess Mornings podcast suggested that a “less exciting” remake than Horizon Zero Dawn might be in the works. Could Days Gone be next on the remaster list? So far, Sony’s been mum, but the enthusiast speculation hasn’t slowed down.
Here is one thing, Days Gone already has a PS5 upgrade, with 60 FPS and dynamic 4K resolution. So, if they were to “remaster” it, they’d need to go big such as adopting re-recorded dialogue, updated animations, and better new content. But if a remaster is able to spark enough interest and reignite fan demand, maybe, just maybe, Sony would be convinced that Days Gone deserves a second chapter.
Days Gone has a dedicated fanbase, solid sales numbers, and a world ripe for more storytelling. Yet, Sony has kept the series on ice. Part of the issue might be because the game didn’t exactly set the critics’ hearts on fire when it launched. And in the competitive world of AAA games, sometimes it all goes down to first impressions, which Days Gone didn’t quite nail.
We also have the industry trend to consider. Sony looks more focused on live-service games right now (thanks, Fortnite), and Bend Studio, the developers of Days Gone, is reportedly working on a new live-service, open-world project. So, the idea of a sequel to Days Gone shouldn’t be high on Sony’s priority list, at least for now. But we have recently seen a few titles launched after the years of its predecessor such as Alan Wake 2, so who’s to say it’s off the table forever?
What Would a Remaster Need to Make an Impact?
If Sony and Bend Studio wanted to test the waters, a remaster couldn’t just be a quick polish job. We’re talking about serious upgrades. Take Horizon Zero Dawn, for example—its upcoming remaster includes re-recorded conversations, improved motion capture, and even revamped character models. Days Gone can travel on the same path by adding expanded character interactions, a refined weapon progression system, and some fresh side missions to spice things up.
One particularly nice addition would be co-op gameplay, an idea that Bend Studio’s director Jeff Ross once floated. Imagine teaming up with friends to challenge the terrifying Freaker groups. A remaster with a co-op mode would turn heads and bring new players into the fold.
If a remaster sells well, Sony might have a harder time ignoring the fan demand for a sequel. Games like The Last of Us Part II have shown that a well-made remaster has good potential to give a great boost to the game’s reputation and bring in a lot of new players. At the end of the day, it all comes down to money. Days Gone proved it could sell, and it’s maintained a strong following years after release.
Days Gone has its haters but it also has something many games don’t—a community that’s still holding out hope. It’s not every day a game that launched with a mixed review gets a cult following. And as they say, where there’s money (and passionate fans) there’s opportunity. So if a remaster ever happens it might be the key to reviving the Days Gone dream. If nothing else it’ll give us one more chance to ride through Oregon’s back roads, mowing down Freakers and hoping that someday Days Gone 2 gets the green light it deserves.