Ape Escape rumor: Sony may be bringing back the 1999 franchise

• The speculation stems from insider NateTheHate, who hinted on ResetEra at Sony’s interest in bringing back dormant franchises.
• It is still unclear which studio, if any, is working on the project.

What happened

Rumors about Ape Escape started circulating after insider NateTheHate responded on ResetEra with side-eye emojis and pointed to Sony’s interest in reviving dormant franchises. In the reporting, Ape Escape is mentioned as a possible candidate, but a new entry has not been officially confirmed. That keeps the claim firmly in rumor territory and not yet backed by Sony itself.

The developer remains unknown for now. The source says it is not clear which studio is working on the project, and that NateTheHate had ruled out one studio, though the provided material does not name it. Additional reporting also says Team Asobi would not be involved and that Bandai Namco was not involved according to the insider, as far as he knew, but that remains unofficial and unconfirmed.

Ape Escape is a PlayStation franchise that debuted in 1999. Two more mainline entries followed on PS2, along with several spin-offs. According to the source, no fully new Ape Escape game has been released since 2010. That makes the series one of Sony’s older brands to resurface in the recent wave of dormant-franchise rumors.

The current reporting is entirely about a rumor, not an official Sony announcement. That leaves the biggest questions unanswered: whether a new Ape Escape game is actually in development, which studio would be involved, and which team the insider ruled out. It is also not confirmed whether Sony is pursuing a broader strategy to bring back multiple older franchises at once, even if outside reporting suggests that may be the case.

Background

Ape Escape has been a dormant PlayStation franchise for years. After the original 1999 game, the series received two more mainline sequels on PS2 and several spin-offs, but according to the source no new mainline entry has appeared since 2010. That has long made it one of the older Sony properties fans speculate about when revival rumors start up.

The current reporting comes from a mix of a ResetEra tease and later gaming-media summaries. The core of the story is that NateTheHate referred to Sony’s interest in bringing back dormant franchises. In the wider context, Ape Escape is explicitly named as one of the possible candidates. At the same time, none of these reports replace an official announcement from Sony.

The development question is still open. The provided information says it is not clear which studio is working on the project. In addition, extra reporting says Team Asobi would not be involved and that Bandai Namco was not involved according to the insider, as far as he knew. Because that information comes from rumors, no firm conclusion can be drawn from it.

The status of the project itself is also uncertain. Some headlines and summaries talk about a possible Ape Escape return, but the underlying information only confirms that Sony may be interested in reviving old franchises. That is not the same as formally announcing a new game. Until Sony says otherwise, the most accurate wording is that Ape Escape is being linked to a possible revival plan.

The franchise history is clearer. Ape Escape debuted in 1999, got two additional mainline entries on PS2, and later mostly appeared in spin-offs. According to the source, the last fully new entry was released in 2010. That gap explains why the series is back in rumor discussions in 2026, especially with multiple reports suggesting Sony is looking at dormant franchises.

Sources

• Gamerant: https://gamerant.com/new-ape-escape-game-leak/
• Additional context via external reporting on the rumors around Sony and Ape Escape