Why Astro Bot’s Innocent Days Gone Cameo Made News

PlayStation 5 exclusive Astro Bot has wowed critics and thrilled players, but not everyone is happy.

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

The bot cameos amount to little more than cute nods to PlayStation games past and present, featuring cheery animations that lean into each character’s origins. But for John Garvin, creative director of 2019’s PlayStation 4 exclusive Days Gone, the inclusion of protagonist Deacon St. John in Astro Bot promotional materials is causing the outrage.

Garvin quoted a tweet from Days Gone developer Bend Studio, which celebrated the release of Astro Bot with an image of Deacon St. John on a beach, saying, “Pretty sad that Deek is reduced to promoting other games… Well done Bend Studio! Well done protecting your legacy!”

Kinda sad that Deek is reduced to promoting other games…well done Bend Studio! Well done protecting 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 husk promoting some small game and I’m harsh? Sit down bro, grown ups are talking.”

Garvin’s tweets have been harshly criticized (one current PlayStation Studios developer responded by calling Astro Bot “a love letter to Playstation games. I’m not sure what you’re so excited about. I’m really happy to see games I worked on being referenced in this way”). But they’re also not surprising, given his previous comments about Sony’s handling of Days Gone and its never-released sequel. In December 2022, Bend Studio responded to an outburst from its former employee, who had blamed “woke reviewers” for Days Gone’s critical reception.

“We are aware of comments made by our previous creative director on Days Gone regarding his personal views 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 that Sony or Bend Studio will respond to Garvin’s latest outburst.

All 173 PlayStation characters in Astro Bot – Easter Eggs