Sony Bend Creative Director, Game Director Depart Studio

Sony Interactive Entertainment Bend Studio, also known simply as Sony Bend Studio, has seen the departure of its creative director John Garvin and game director Jeff Ross. While Garvin had spent over two decades at the studio (starting in 1997 when it was known as Eidetic), Ross has been with Sony Interactive Entertainment since 2006 and joined Sony Bend in 2015. Interestingly, Garvin left more than a year ago.

On his Twitter, Garvin revealed that he had been focusing on “personal projects” after shipping Days Gone. This includes painting, writing, publishing and “enjoying a break from the game industry.” Ross, meanwhile, will be leaving the studio – and PlayStation as a whole – this week. “I’m incredibly proud of all the games I got to make, but also looking forward to new challenges ahead. I’ll post about my plans later, but I’ll be moving to Chicago once COVID calms down.”

The studio has been known for its work on the Syphon Filter series (and Bubsy 3D as Eidetic but we don’t talk about that). It went on to develop Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Uncharted: Fight for Fortune on the PlayStation Vita. Days Gone was the studio’s only released title for the PS4 but there could be a sequel coming to PS5. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

Hi all, a quick announcement: I haven’t spoken about this before for various reasons, but I’m no longer with Bend Studio and haven’t been for over a year. Since Days Gone shipped, I’ve been focusing on personal projects: painting, writing, publishing … (1

— John Garvin (@John_Garvin) December 1, 2020

… and generally, enjoying a break from the game industry. For those that don’t know, I moved to Bend, Oregon in 1997, and began work as art director for Eidetic, a tiny 12 person studio headed by the legendary Marc Blank (creator of Zork). (2

— John Garvin (@John_Garvin) December 1, 2020

This week is my last at @PlayStation and @BendStudio. I'm incredibly proud of all the games I got to make, but also looking forward to new challenges ahead. I'll post about my plans later, but I'll be moving to Chicago once COVID calms down. #JeffsGone #DaysGone

— Jeff Ross (@JakeRocket) December 1, 2020