Footage leaks from Bend Studio's cancelled military live-service game

A little over a year ago, Sony made waves by announcing the cancellation of two live-service games for PlayStation as part of a broader restructuring. One was a God of War title from Bluepoint, and the other was an unknown project from Bend Studio, the developers behind Days Gone. Details on both have been scarce ever since, but a new report from MP1st is starting to fill in the blanks.

The leaked materials include animation footage showing a third-person game with a clear military theme. The clips reveal drones and turrets, as well as some kind of wrist-mounted device on the player character. The footage lines up with previously surfaced screenshots that pointed to a military-themed live-service title.

The game was being developed under the codename Mirror Pond and reportedly ran on the Decima engine – the same technology behind Death Stranding and Horizon. According to the report, the finished version was planned to feature 30 different enemy types and over 100 "unique" firearms. True to live-service form, the game included a multi-tiered experience system, event and reputation rewards, and large-scale multiplayer content. Vehicles were also part of the package – hardly surprising from the studio that made a motorcycle an integral part of *Days Gone*.

After the sudden restructuring, Bend Studio community manager Kevin McAllister assured fans that the team was still working on "cool stuff," but offered no specifics. In June of last year, a second round of layoffs hit the studio – roughly 40 people, or about 30% of the workforce. In September, a creative director job listing appeared for an entirely new title, requiring experience in "multiplayer game development and design," suggesting the studio is still headed in that direction.

It's unlikely anything new from Bend will ship before the end of the PS5's lifecycle.