Why Astro Bot’s Innocuous Days Gone Cameo Has Hit the Headlines

PlayStation 5 exclusive Astro Bot has wowed critics and delighted players — but not everyone is happy with it.

Astro Bot, developed by Sony’s Japanese studio Team Asobi, is a 3D platformer that delves deep into PlayStation history for its many cameo bots. Check out IGN’s feature, Astro Bot: Every PlayStation Character – Easter Eggs, for more.

The bot cameos are little more than fun nods to PlayStation games past and present, and include joyful animations that lean on each character’s heritage. But for John Garvin, creative director of 2019 PlayStation 4 exclusive Days Gone, including protagonist Deacon St. John in Astro Bot promotional material is the cause of upset.

Quoting a tweet from Days Gone developer Bend Studio that celebrated the release of Astro Bot with an image of Deacon St. John on a beach, Garvin said: “Kinda sad that Deek has been reduced to promoting other games… Well done Bend Studio! Way to protect your legacy!”

Kinda sad that Deek has been reduced to promoting other games … well done Bend Studio! Way to protect your legacy! https://t.co/LRGsPYSX9g

— John Garvin (@John_Garvin) September 7, 2024

Then, responding to the backlash to his tweet, Garvin doubled down: “Haha. I see my character reduced to a cartoon schill promoting some small game and I’m being harsh? Sit down, my brotha, adults are talking.”

Garvin’s tweets were roundly criticized (one current PlayStation Studios developer responded to call Astro Bot “a love letter to Playstation games. Not exactly sure what you’re getting all hot and bothered about. Very happy to see games I’ve worked on referenced in this way”). But they are also unsurprising, given his previous comments on Sony’s treatment of Days Gone and the sequel that never happened. In December 2022, Bend Studio addressed an outburst from its former employee, who had blamed “woke reviewers” for Days Gone’s critical reception.

“We are aware of the comments made by our previous creative director on Days Gone regarding his personal view on the critical reception of our intellectual property,” Bend said at the time. “Bend Studio does not share his sentiment, nor does it reflect the views of our team.” It seems unlikely Sony or Bend Studio will respond to Garvin’s latest outburst.

Garvin, by his own admission, was fired from Bend Studio for being “a disruptive personality”. In a talk with fellow former Sony developer David Jaffe, Garvin said he “had a few heated arguments” at the studio, and that he “sucked” at being a people person, a skill required in his position at the helm of a large team.

In our 9/10 review of Astro Bot, IGN said: “A fantastically inventive platformer in its own right, Astro Bot is particularly special for anyone with a place in their heart for PlayStation.”

Our Days Gone review, meanwhile, returned a 6/10. “Fun in small bursts, but Days Gone’s repetition, bland world, and meandering story make for an unremarkable ride,” we said.”

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.