A new installment in the long-dormant Ape Escape series may be in development, according to a report citing anonymous sources familiar with the project. The game is reportedly being helmed by Evening Star, a studio co-founded by Christian Whitehead, who previously led the development of Sonic Mania. Jeff Gerstmann, a veteran game journalist, also corroborated the report on his podcast, The Jeff Gerstmann Show.
Gerstmann stated that while the game is not close to release, discussions about an Ape Escape revival have been ongoing for nearly a year. He indicated that an external studio, specifically Evening Star, is developing the title, dismissing speculation that Sony's internal Team Asobi, known for the Astro Bot series, was involved. Evening Star's previous release was the 2024 3D platformer Penny’s Big Breakaway.
Team Asobi is the remnant of the original Japan Studio, which was responsible for the Ape Escape series, as well as other titles like LocoRoco and Gravity Rush. Japan Studio was largely disbanded by Sony in 2021, with its talent integrated into Team Asobi and other divisions.
Rumors surrounding a potential return of Ape Escape have circulated for some time. The current report suggests Sony is exploring reviving several of its dormant franchises by licensing them to external developers. This strategy was previously employed for Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots, developed by Bandai Namco. Sony is also reportedly considering a revival of the Killzone series.
The last mainline entry in the Ape Escape series was Ape Escape 3, released in 2005. This was preceded by Ape Escape in 1999 and Ape Escape 2 in 2003. While a PlayStation Move title bearing the franchise name was released later, it was not considered a core entry. The original Ape Escape is remembered for its innovative use of the PlayStation DualShock controller's analog sticks for gameplay mechanics that involved capturing escaped apes with various gadgets.