Days Gone Dev Upset with Astro Bot Cameo

The Creative Director for Days Gone has publicly expressed displeasure with Deacon’s portrayal in Astro Bot. Since Days Gone was released, Deacon has become a fan-favorite character, but there may be some bad blood between its Creative Director and Astro Bot.

Although it saw a mixed critical response when it launched, Days Gone has a large community of fans. Beyond this, the game also received Golden Joystick, Webby, and Jerry Goldsmith awards for PlayStation Game of the Year and Best Storytelling, Music and Sound Design, and Best Original Score respectively. The Bend Studio game introduced memorable characters like Deacon St. John, Sarah Whitaker, Iron Mike, and more. During the events of Days Gone, these characters try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world that sets a new standard for open-world zombie survival games. In response to a promotional image, former Creative Director John Garvin expressed some negative sentiments towards Bend Studio and the recently released Astro Bot.

Days Gone Creative Director John Garvin recently expressed displeasure regarding Deacon’s portrayal as an Astro Bot character in a promotional art piece. The art shared by Bend Studio showcased Days Gone‘s Deacon leaning against a palm tree on a beach while watching two Puppy Bots play with a beach ball. This caused Garvin to suggest that Deacon was being “reduced to promoting” Astro Bot, which received a response from a dev named Gabriel who defended Bend Studio and its portrayal of Deacon. Gabriel stated that the Creative Director who brought Deacon to life shouldn’t want the character “stored away.” This caused Garvin to laugh at the idea that he was being harsh, doubling down on his thoughts on Deacon as an Astro Bot character.

Days Gone Creative Director Is Upset With Astro Bot Portrayal

Similar to Astro’s Playroom, Astro Bot is a love letter to PlayStation franchises and the history of Sony consoles. Among the many referenced characters are Aloy, Crash, Kratos, Nathan Drake, Ratchet and Clank, Ryuji Goda, and Knack. John Garvin has previously gone on the record saying that players should buy games at full price if they wish for a sequel. Despite selling around 8 million copies, Days Gone saw a mixed reception at launch, which has caused Bend Studio to work on other projects. The game’s launch was marred by various bugs, including one that turned Deacon into Ghost Rider, sudden frame rate drops, and certain missions not allowing players to progress.

While John Garvin seems unhappy with how Days Gone was represented in Astro Bot and the art piece celebrating it, some gamers have celebrated Deacon’s inclusion. With Astro Bot seeing wide acclaim and successful sales numbers, it may not be the last time a Days Gone character is featured in the series.