Days Gone Creator Criticizes Astro Bot for Redesigning Character as a “Cartoon Shill”

Team Asobi’s Astro Bot has provided Sony with a significant success following the disappointing release of Concord. However, former Sony employee John Garvin was not pleased with this achievement. The ex-creative director of Bend Studio and writer/co-director of Days Gone took to X/Twitter on September 7 to voice his disdain regarding the references to Deacon, the main character of Days Gone, featured in Asobi’s acclaimed platformer.

“Kinda sad that Deek has been reduced to promoting other games,” Garvin began, making sarcastic remarks about his former workplace’s handling of their legacy. “Well done Bend Studio! Way to protect your legacy!” he added.

Astro Bot, recognized as a top-tier platformer, pays tribute to various Sony intellectual properties, including Uncharted, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn. Following his initial tweet, Garvin engaged in a debate over his comments with others on the platform.

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

“Calm down my brotha,” one user replied, addressing Garvin directly. “You were the creative director of Days Gone. Don’t keep that magic stored away.”

Garvin responded, “Haha, I see my character reduced to a cartoon schill promoting some small indie game and I’m being harsh? Sit down, my brotha, adults are talking.”

The exchange continued with various other participants chiming in until Garvin eventually told one challenger he was “done giving you air.”

Bye lil Rizky, I’m done giving you air https://t.co/FuSRPOBlgZ

— John Garvin (@John_Garvin) September 7, 2024

Garvin departed Bend Studio in 2019 to concentrate on personal projects. In a 2021 interview with Video Games Chronicle, he disclosed that he was dismissed from Bend Studio due to his “disruptive personality,” without further detail.

Astro Bot launched on September 6 exclusively for PlayStation 5 and has garnered widespread acclaim, holding near-perfect scores on Metacritic. It is expected to be a contender for multiple awards at the 2024 Game Awards in December.