Multiple credible insiders confirm Sony is actively exploring revivals of dormant PlayStation IPs including Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, MotorStorm, and InFamous, with an InFamous 1 and 2 remake reportedly in development at an unannounced studio.
Sony is actively considering the revival of several dormant PlayStation franchises, according to multiple credible industry sources. On 16 May 2026, well-known insider Nate The Hate posted on X that “there is truth to Sony exploring & considering reviving some of their older, unused IPs.” This confirmation aligns with earlier claims from VGC journalist Jordan Middler and VGC editor-in-chief Andy Robinson, forming a pattern of evidence that points toward a significant shift in PlayStation’s strategy heading into the PS6 generation.
Which Classic Franchises Are on the Table?
The franchises most frequently mentioned across insider reports include Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, MotorStorm, and InFamous. Nate The Hate added his personal picks of Resistance, Legend of Dragoon, and SOCOM as IPs he would like to see return. Fan communities have also rallied behind Jak and Daxter, LittleBigPlanet, Syphon Filter, and Twisted Metal.
A critical distinction raised by the insider: franchises like Uncharted and Bloodborne are not considered “older” in this context. The conversation is specifically about deep-cut PS2 and PS3 era properties that have been dormant for over a decade. Sly Cooper’s last game, Thieves in Time, launched in February 2013 on PS3. The last mainline Ape Escape title released back in 2005. MotorStorm’s final entry, MotorStorm: RC, arrived in 2012 before developer Evolution Studios was shut down by Sony in 2016.
The InFamous Remake: The Most Concrete Rumour
The strongest individual claim centres on the InFamous series. VGC’s Jordan Middler stated across multiple podcast appearances that he is “under the impression that there is an InFamous thing happening somewhere else in PlayStation at the minute,” and crucially, that it is not tied to Sucker Punch Productions, the studio behind the original games.
Speaking on the Kinda Funny Gamescast, Middler elaborated that while it was not directly stated, it was “very much implied” that the project involves remakes of InFamous 1 and 2. He cautioned that this came from a single source and could not be corroborated with a second, and that there is always a chance the project may have been cancelled. Nevertheless, multiple supporting signals make this rumour harder to dismiss.
One notable detail: Sucker Punch’s old blog post stating the studio had “no plans to revisit InFamous or Sly Cooper” has since been deleted. Game director Nate Fox has also publicly said he would welcome another studio handling a remaster of the series. Sucker Punch co-founder Brian Fleming departed the studio in December 2025, with new leadership under Jason Connell and Adrian Bentley taking over from January 2026.
The IP Preservation Project: A Quiet Signal
In early May 2026, PlayStation senior build engineer Garrett Fredley revealed a logo for the company’s internal IP Preservation program. The logo featured characters from Sly Cooper, Jak & Daxter, Killzone, Ape Escape, and PaRappa the Rapper. Fredley wrote that “PlayStation’s journey toward preservation has begun, and we have no plans of stopping anytime soon.”
The preservation project is primarily about archiving game builds and digital materials spanning over 30 years of PlayStation history. It does not directly confirm new games for any of these franchises. However, featuring these specific characters in official internal branding signals that Sony views them as core heritage properties worth maintaining, not abandoned relics.
The Executive Paper Trail
The insider claims do not exist in isolation. PlayStation Studios CEO Hermen Hulst publicly stated that PlayStation is “continually looking at opportunities to leverage past IP” and that those properties are “an important asset.” In January 2025, VGC editor-in-chief Andy Robinson claimed on X that he knew of “at least a couple” of classic IP revivals in the works, describing them as “deep-cut, old IP stuff” that would likely be smaller in scope than PlayStation’s typical AAA output.
Robinson’s description of these projects as modest in scope potentially points away from the most resource-intensive dormant franchises like Killzone or Resistance, and toward more manageable revivals. Names like The Getaway, Wild Arms, Tokyo Jungle, Heavenly Sword, and Legend of Dragoon have all been floated as possibilities by commentators, though none have been confirmed.
Sony’s New Approach: Farming Out Classic IPs
Perhaps the most significant strategic shift signalled by these rumours is Sony’s apparent willingness to hand classic franchises to different developers rather than waiting for original studios to return to them. The InFamous rumour explicitly excludes Sucker Punch. This mirrors what happened with Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, which was developed by Sanzaru Games rather than Sucker Punch.
In February 2026, Sony quietly released God of War: Sons of Sparta, a 2D spin-off developed by independent studio Mega Cat Studios. This proved that Sony is now willing to license its premier IP to third-party teams for smaller-scale projects. If applied more broadly, this approach could unlock dozens of dormant franchises without pulling first-party studios away from their current projects. A new Jak and Daxter would not require Naughty Dog to pause development, and a new Killzone would not need Guerrilla Games to leave Horizon behind.
The Astro Bot Effect and the Business Case for Nostalgia
Team Asobi’s Astro Bot won Game of the Year in 2024 and was packed with references to PlayStation’s classic catalogue, including nods to Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and PaRappa the Rapper. The game’s critical and commercial success demonstrated that PlayStation nostalgia has tangible market value. The confirmed remake of the original God of War trilogy further reinforces that Sony sees revisiting its past as a profitable strategy.
The original Ape Escape was re-released on PS4 and PS5 in March 2025 with visual enhancements, rewind features, quick saves, and video filters. Fan reception was warm, and many noted that the game’s core mechanics, particularly its reliance on dual-analogue stick controls, would translate beautifully to the PS5’s DualSense controller with its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
When Could We Hear Something Official?
Nate The Hate specifically shut down a rumour about a State of Play event on 24 May, pointing out that the date falls on a Sunday. He noted that he does not yet have an exact date for any formal announcement. For now, “Sony is exploring” remains very different from “Sony is announcing.” Interest and greenlit production are not the same thing.
However, the convergence of signals is striking: an executive’s public statements, a senior engineer’s preservation logo, two separate VGC journalists’ claims, and an independent insider’s corroboration all point in the same direction. With the PS5 generation winding down and PS6 preparations underway, Sony appears to be positioning these classic revivals as part of a broader catalogue strategy for the next hardware generation.
Key Questions Players Are Asking
Will Sly Cooper get a new game or a remake?
Nothing is confirmed. Sucker Punch co-founder Brian Fleming name-dropped Sly Cooper in a late 2025 VGC interview, saying the decision between continuing Ghost or “going back to Sly” was limited by the studio’s one-project focus. Fleming has since left the studio. If Sly Cooper returns, it is likely through a different developer. The franchise has sold modestly by PlayStation standards, making a full Sucker Punch commitment commercially difficult to justify.
Is a new Ape Escape confirmed?
Not officially. Jordan Middler stated on Jeff Gerstmann’s podcast that “they’ll announce that Ape Escape they’re making,” though he has not been able to corroborate this with a second source. The franchise has been dormant since 2005 as a mainline series, and fans have long argued that its gameplay design is a perfect fit for the DualSense controller.
Can MotorStorm return without Evolution Studios?
Yes. Sony retained ownership of the MotorStorm IP when it closed Evolution Studios in 2016. Many former Evolution developers moved to Codemasters (now Codemasters Evo). Sony could assign the franchise to any internal or partner studio. The series’ last entry was MotorStorm: RC in 2012.
Are Bloodborne and Uncharted part of this revival wave?
No. Nate The Hate explicitly stated that Uncharted and Bloodborne do not fall into the “older, unused” category. These rumours focus specifically on deep-catalogue franchises that have been inactive for a decade or longer.
Could these be PS6 launch titles?
Possibly. Given the typical development timeline and the fact that these projects appear to be in early or exploratory stages, a PS6 launch window would be realistic for any that reach full production. Sony has historically used nostalgia-driven titles to strengthen new hardware launches.
