Ape Escape Reportedly Returning: Sonic Mania Team Reportedly Developing New Entry

What We Know

• The claim: A new Ape Escape is reportedly in development at Evening Star, per Jeff Gerstmann, independently corroborated by VGC
• The caveat: Gerstmann describes the project as "barely greenlit" and "not necessarily the most corroborated, multiple-source thing"
• What's unknown: Whether it's a remake, reboot, or new entry; Sony has not commented
• The context: Aligns with a reported Sony strategy of licensing dormant IP to third-party studios

What the Report Actually Says

The rumor first surfaced through two converging threads. Insider NateTheHate posted on ResetEra hinting at a Sony dormant-franchise revival while explicitly ruling out Team Asobi. Then Gerstmann, speaking on his podcast, went further and named Evening Star specifically as the studio behind the project.

Gerstmann was candid about the limits of what he knew. He described the project as "barely greenlit" and "just getting underway" when he first heard about it around DICE in February, and he openly characterized it as "not necessarily the most corroborated, multiple-source thing." That kind of self-awareness is rare in rumor discourse and worth taking seriously.

VGC, however, stated that the claim independently matches what its own sources have heard, which elevates the report above the level of a lone anonymous tip. Even so, critical questions remain unanswered. It is unclear whether the project is a remake of the original game, a full reboot, or an entirely new entry. Sony has not responded to requests for comment, including on the broader reported strategy of licensing dormant IP to third parties.

The honest framing, then, is this: credible but unconfirmed, with two separate signals pointing in the same direction but no official confirmation to anchor them.

Who Is Evening Star, and Why It's a Strange Fit

Evening Star was co-founded in 2018 by Christian Whitehead and other developers who had worked on Sonic Mania, the acclaimed 2017 side-scrolling Sonic revival. The studio's only released title to date is Penny's Big Breakaway, a well-received 3D platformer with a heavy emphasis on momentum-driven movement.

The studio has not been shy about its ambitions. CTO Hunter Bridges has said the team is working on something "not Sonic this time," and director Christian Whitehead has stated that the studio's goal was to move into 3D games and original IP. A new Ape Escape would technically satisfy neither of those criteria on the "original IP" front, but it would absolutely represent a leap into full 3D development.

What makes the fit intriguing rather than absurd is Evening Star's track record with tight, physics-driven movement. Sonic Mania earned praise for how precisely it captured and expanded upon classic Sonic's momentum-based platforming, and Penny's Big Breakaway doubled down on fluid, skill-expressive traversal. Ape Escape, at its core, is a game about movement, swinging a net with the right analog stick, chasing mischievous monkeys through inventive 3D spaces. If any independent studio understands the importance of feel, it is this one.

Still, a 2D platforming specialist taking on a 3D gadget-platformer is a significant creative leap. It is the kind of swing that could either produce something special or collapse under the weight of expectations.

Why Not Team Asobi? The Japan Studio Question

When fans imagined an Ape Escape revival, most assumed Team Asobi would be the studio to make it. The logic was straightforward: Asobi absorbed the remnants of Japan Studio, the team that created Ape Escape, after Sony restructured the studio in April 2021 and folded its remaining staff into Team Asobi. Asobi's 2024 Game of the Year winner Astro Bot featured a dedicated Ape Escape-themed level complete with monkey-catching mechanics. It felt like a proof of concept for a full revival.

NateTheHate explicitly ruled out Team Asobi, however, and also stated that Bandai Namco is not involved "to my knowledge," a hedged but notable exclusion. That leaves Evening Star as the sole named candidate.

There is an emotional dimension here that is difficult to ignore. The people who made Ape Escape what it was are no longer at Sony in any recognizable form. The franchise's future, if this report is accurate, now rests with an external team that has no historical connection to the series. That is not necessarily a bad thing, fresh perspectives can revitalize dormant properties, but it does mean the revival, should it happen, will be an interpretation rather than a continuation.

The Bigger Picture: Sony's Dormant IP Strategy

The Ape Escape rumor did not emerge in a vacuum. It aligns with a reported Sony strategy of reviving dormant franchises by licensing them to smaller third-party studios rather than developing them internally. The precedent most frequently cited is Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots, which was licensed to Bandai Namco and released in 2025.

Reports have also circulated about potential revivals for other long-dormant PlayStation properties, including Sly Cooper, Killzone, and MotorStorm. If accurate, this strategy would represent a significant shift in how Sony approaches its legacy catalog, one that acknowledges the value of these IPs without committing internal resources to them.

It is important to stress that much of this remains speculative. Sony has not confirmed any licensing strategy, and the sourcing for individual franchise revivals varies in quality. But the pattern, if real, could reshape how PlayStation's back catalog is preserved and extended for a new generation.

What a Revival Needs to Get Right

Ape Escape debuted on the original PlayStation in 1999 and holds a unique place in gaming history: it was among the first PlayStation games to require the DualShock controller. The right analog stick, then a novel input method, was used to swing gadgets like the Time Net, a design decision that made the controller's dual-stick layout essential rather than optional.

The series continued with Ape Escape 2 and Ape Escape 3 on PS2, a PSP remake, and numerous spin-offs, some of which never left Japan. Composer Soichi Terada's drum-and-bass soundtrack became as iconic as the gameplay itself, and the series' playful tone, equal parts slapstick and genuine challenge, gave it a distinct identity within PlayStation's first-party lineup.

For those unfamiliar with the series or wanting a nostalgia refresher, here's a look at what made the original so memorable:

Any revival would need to preserve the essentials: the net-swinging controls, the mischievous monkeys, the music, and the tone. Get those right, and the rest can follow.

The Tension Between Hope and Evidence

What makes this rumor compelling is not just the possibility of a new Ape Escape, but the identity of the team reportedly making it. Evening Star has demonstrated a rare understanding of movement and feel, and Ape Escape is a series built on exactly those qualities. If the report is accurate, the pairing makes a certain kind of sense, even if it is not the one anyone predicted.

But nothing is official. No announcement has been made, no trailer has been shown, and every detail remains in rumor territory. The project could be a remake or a new game. It could be years away. It could, as Gerstmann himself cautioned, amount to very little.

That uncertainty is precisely why this is worth watching. A dormant franchise returning under the right creative team is an exciting prospect, and it is exciting because it is unconfirmed. For now, the only concrete step fans can take is to watch for official channels, Sony's social media, Evening Star's announcements, and major gaming events like State of Play or The Game Awards, where any confirmation would likely first appear. The detail to watch for is whether this shapes up as a faithful return or something entirely new. Until then, cautious optimism is the only honest position.