New Radical Games Rises: What the Prototype and Simpsons: Hit & Run Studio's Return Means for Fans

In the video game industry, studios fade away far more often than they return from the grave. That’s what makes the sudden, official re-emergence of Radical Entertainment—reborn as New Radical Games—such a seismic event for a certain generation of players. For fans who cut their teeth on the chaotic, superpowered carnage of Prototype or the beloved, anarchic driving of The Simpsons: Hit & Run, the name Radical Entertainment is synonymous with a specific brand of inventive, unapologetically fun action. After over a decade in effective dormancy following its wind-down by Activision, the studio is back, not as a nostalgic footnote, but as a newly formed entity with veteran leadership at the helm. The announcement has instantly ignited the community’s imagination, leading to one burning question: Is this the setup for a return to classic franchises, or the foundation for something entirely new?

The Phoenix Rises: Anatomy of New Radical Games

The revival is not merely a rebranding; it’s a strategic corporate phoenix, rising from the ashes of two studios. New Radical Games is formally described as an amalgamation of the original, shuttered Radical Entertainment and the bankrupt Hothead Games—a studio itself founded by former Radical staff. This merger of legacies and talent pools suggests an intent to recapture past magic with modern structure.

Crucially, the leadership steering this return are familiar faces from Radical’s heyday. Ian Wilkinson, the co-founder of the original Radical Entertainment, returns as CEO. Alongside him is Tim Bennison as COO, a former executive producer and VP of technology at Radical who later held senior roles at Capcom Vancouver. This leadership duo provides a direct link to the studio’s creative history and operational expertise.

The studio’s stated mission on its website is deliberately broad, listing services including full game development, co-development, porting, remastering, and real-time VFX work. The conspicuous lack of a specific project announcement is a vacuum instantly filled by fan speculation. This strategic ambiguity allows New Radical Games to position itself as both a potential lead developer and a support studio for larger publishers, all while the community’s hopes immediately zero in on two iconic titles from its past.

Fueling the Fire: The Evidence for a Prototype Comeback

If fan speculation were a court, the case for a Prototype revival would have compelling physical evidence. The rumors are not based on mere wishful thinking but on tangible digital footprints. In late 2025, the SteamDB backend for the original 2009 Prototype game received mysterious updates—an unusual occurrence for a title released 16 years prior.

Dataminers quickly went to work, uncovering significant changes. The game’s credit files were updated to include the studio Iron Galaxy, a developer renowned for its work on high-quality remasters and ports for titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Diablo II: Resurrected. Perhaps even more telling was the addition of a reference to Ubisoft Connect, suggesting work to integrate the game into a modern Ubisoft storefront or subscription service. Further investigation by modders revealed the existence of new, previously unseen test maps within the game’s code.

This confluence of evidence—backend updates, a known remaster specialist in the credits, and new assets—paints a convincing picture. It strongly suggests that a Prototype remaster or remake has been in active development, likely as a partnership between the IP holder (presumably Activision, now under Microsoft) and Iron Galaxy, with New Radical Games potentially involved in a consulting or co-development capacity given its heritage.

The Holy Grail: The Enduring Dream of a Hit & Run Revival

While the case for Prototype is built on digital clues, the dream of a The Simpsons: Hit & Run revival is a powerful, decades-old cultural campaign. The game remains a pinnacle of licensed titles, praised for its faithful satire of Springfield and its entertaining Grand Theft Auto-inspired chaos. Its commercial potential in today’s nostalgia-driven market is enormous, but the path to a remake is a legal minefield far more complex than Prototype’s.

The core issue is a tangled web of licensing. The rights are split between multiple powerful entities: the Simpsons IP is owned by Fox/Disney, the original game was published by now-defunct Vivendi Games (with its assets absorbed by Activision), and the likenesses and voices of the cast involve separate negotiations. In 2021, Simpsons writer and executive producer Matt Selman stoked fan hopes by tweeting, “I would love that. Someone make that happen.” However, he immediately followed up by acknowledging the “many, many, many corporate hurdles” involved.

For New Radical Games, a Hit & Run project represents the ultimate fan service and a guaranteed commercial hit, but it would require an unprecedented alignment of corporate stars between Disney, Microsoft (Activision’s parent), and the talent. It is the studio’s holy grail—highly desired, spoken of in reverent tones, but protected by a labyrinth of legal challenges. A revival would require all these parties to align—a formidable but not impossible task.

Beyond Nostalgia: What Could New Radical Games Actually Do?

The central tension for the newly formed studio lies in defining its future identity. Is its primary purpose to serve as a high-end support studio, leveraging its veteran talent for porting, remastering, and VFX work for other publishers? Or does the return of its founders signal an ambition to once again lead the development of original AAA projects?

The studio’s broad service listing suggests a pragmatic, hybrid approach. They are open for business, which could mean working on existing Activision Blizzard IPs—beyond just Prototype—or partnering with other publishers. However, the intense, immediate fan focus on its back catalog creates a powerful gravitational pull. The question becomes whether market demand and sentiment will pressure New Radical toward legacy projects, or if Wilkinson and Bennison are strategically using that legacy as a foundation to build something new and unexpected.

The studio’s legacy is one of carving a unique path, whether through the dark, biological horror-action of Prototype or the brilliant licensed adaptation of Hit & Run. Their return offers two exciting possibilities: the careful stewardship of that beloved past, or the application of that distinctive creative philosophy to a new generation of games.

The return of New Radical Games is more than a corporate footnote; it's a rare second act for a studio with a legacy of chaotic, inventive fun. Whether the near future holds a Prototype remaster, the distant hope of a Hit & Run revival, or an entirely new chaos simulator, the studio now has the foundation and the fan goodwill to make it matter. After a long dormancy, the stage is set for Radical's next act.

Tags: Radical Entertainment, New Radical Games, Prototype, The Simpsons: Hit & Run, Video Game Remaster