Ape Escape return teased by insider as hopes raised for new Astro Bot game

| Games News Writer Published October 2, 2026 10:57am Updated October 2, 2026 10:57am Monkey business (Sony Interactive Entertainment) Sony is bringing back Ape Escape in some capacity, according to a reliable insider, but it won’t be made by who you’d expect. While most people might associate the original PlayStation with Crash Bandicoot or Tomb Raider, another series which consistently comes to mind is Ape Escape. Developed by Sony’s Japan Studio in 1999, Ape Escape is a platformer where you pursue and try to capture apes using a variety of gadgets. It spawned several sequels, spin-offs, and a PSP remake, with the last mainline title being 2005’s Ape Escape 3 on the PlayStation 2. The franchise has largely remained dormant since, although it has been referenced in other PlayStation products – such as the recent Lego set and via a dedicated level within Astro Bot. Earlier this year, reliable insider NateTheHate claimed Sony was ‘exploring and considering’ bringing back some of its older IP. He didn’t reveal what franchises exactly, but Ape Escape was high on fan wishlists. Now, NateTheHate has strongly suggested Ape Escape is on the docket. On ResetEra, the insider was asked if he knew anything about a new Ape Escape. He replied with side eye emojis, adding: ‘As I said a while ago, Sony is looking to bring back some dormant franchises.’ Expert, exclusive gaming analysis Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. However, while some assumed Astro Bot developer Team Asobi would be on the project, following the tribute in their last game – which plays very similarly to the original – NateTheHate claims they’re not working on Ape Escape. Similarly, he also ruled out the involvement of Bandai Namco, who have published revivals of Sony franchises like Everybody’s Golf over recent years. However, NateTheHate stated he’d have to ‘check further to be 100%’ because it has ‘been a while’ since he checked in on the project. If Team Asobi isn’t tied to Ape Escape, that almost certainly means the studio is developing an Astro Bot sequel instead. The original game, while not as successful sales wise as other first party PlayStation titles, with around 4 million copies sold, won a myriad of game of the year awards in 2024. It’s unclear whether the return of Ape Escape could be another remake, a new entry with a sizeable budget, or something else, but Sony has hardly any studios left who are known for family friendly games, aside from LittleBigPlanet’s Media Molecule, so it’s possible they’ve outsourced it to an external studio. At the moment, there are only a few future PlayStation exclusives we actually know exist, namely Until Dawn 2, God Of War Laufey, and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Although Naughty Dog recently announced they’re working on two new Last Of Us titles and, rumours suggest, a secret Uncharted revival. God Of War Laufey is the next major Sony exclusive (Sony Interactive Entertainment) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: What Amiga games deserve a remake? Arrow MORE: Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve review – highway to the danger zone Arrow MORE: Gears Of War: E-Day review – the original third person shooter embraces co-op GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.