New rumors suggest that Sony is considering the revival of multiple classic PlayStation franchises, including Ape Escape, Killzone, and Sly Cooper. The PlayStation revivals could potentially mark the first games in over a decade for many of the series.
While Sony maintains a plethora of beloved properties, many of PlayStation’s most popular mascots of the past have been lost to time. Despite being one of the most popular platformer franchises on the PS2, the Jak and Daxter series has not seen a new game since 2012 with the launch of the Jak and Daxter Collection. Plenty of Sony series like Sly Cooper, Infamous, and PaRappa the Rapper have gone more than a decade without receiving a game, as Sony and its subsidiaries have moved on to other projects. Now, Sony may reportedly be fielding offers to revive some of its classic franchises from the past.
Sony May Bring Back Classic PlayStation Franchises
A new report shared by a trusted Sony leaker suggests that Sony is accepting pitches for the return of some of its most beloved series. Previous rumors have claimed that both Ape Escape and Killzone may have revival projects in the works, with Sony working to license and publish the games for new developers. Sly Cooper has recently been thrown into the mix as well, claiming that Sony is considering a large-scale revival of many of its older franchises from the PS2 and PS3 era. The leaker also gives a timeframe for when Sony’s revival campaign is set to begin, reportedly launching the first wave around the release of the PlayStation 6.
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While the potential revivals are still just rumors for now, each franchise’s revival would mark the end of a long period of dormancy. Ape Escape has not received a new game since the PS3 in 2010’s PlayStation Move Ape Escape, while the last main-series game, Ape Escape 3, launched in 2005. Despite being a mainstay of the PS3 era, Killzone has not received a new game since Killzone Shadow Fall debuted as a launch title for the PlayStation 4 in 2013. Sly Cooper has seen a period of dormancy similar to Killzone‘s, with 2013 welcoming Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time on the PS3 and mobile-exclusive spin-off Bentley’s Hackpack.
Many of the PlayStation revivals would likely be handled by different studios as well, with their original developers moving on to other series. Sly Cooper developer Sucker Punch Productions has largely shifted to the popular open-world action-adventure game Ghost of Tsushima and its sequel, Ghost of Yotei. Japan Studio, the developer of the Ape Escape series, was merged into Astro Bot developer Team Asobi in 2021. Guerrilla Games has seen overwhelming success with the open-world Horizon series, with both Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West being nominated for Game of the Year.
PlayStation looks to have plenty of exciting first-party releases on the way in early 2027. February will welcome the release of God of War Laufey, which will mark the first time the action series has featured a different protagonist than the iconic Kratos. Until Dawn 2 is also set to launch in February, introducing players to a brand-new cast for the return of the survival horror series after more than ten years. PlayStation could be gearing up to bring back some of its most beloved classic franchises in the near future.