Industry insider NateTheHate has strongly suggested that Sony Interactive Entertainment is working to bring back Ape Escape, the classic monkey-catching platformer series that has sat dormant for well over a decade. Responding to fan questions on ResetEra in early October 2026, the insider said Sony is looking to revive dormant franchises, then followed the tease with details that rule out the most obvious developer candidates.
Quick Facts
- What: A reported Sony effort to revive the Ape Escape series, teased by insider NateTheHate on ResetEra
- When surfaced: Early October 2026, following an earlier remark in May that Sony was exploring older IP
- Who is not making it: Team Asobi is ruled out, and Bandai Namco is not involved to his knowledge
- Legacy: The series debuted on PS1 in 1999 from Japan Studio, and its last mainline entry reached PS2 in 2005
- Status: Unconfirmed by Sony, with no title, developer, platforms, or release date attached
What the insider actually said
The rumor started when ResetEra users pointed to hints from multiple sources that Ape Escape could return, and asked NateTheHate whether he knew anything. He answered with a row of eyes emojis and said Sony is looking to bring back dormant franchises, framing it as a repeat of something he had said before, as reported by Wccftech. That earlier remark came in May 2026, when he said Sony was exploring and considering revivals of older unused properties, as detailed by GodIsAGeek.
Asked directly whether Astro Bot studio Team Asobi was handling the project, his answer was a flat no. Asked about Bandai Namco, he said the publisher was not involved to his knowledge, while adding that he would need to check further to be fully certain since some time had passed since he last looked into the project. That hedge matters. It keeps the door open on the outsourcing question while taking the two most natural candidates off the board, at least for now.
Why Team Asobi looked like the obvious pick
Asobi was the natural guess for several reasons. Sony restructured Japan Studio in April 2021 and folded the remaining staff into Team Asobi, making the Astro Bot team the direct inheritor of the PlayStation platforming tradition. Pipo Monkeys and series hero Spike have already appeared as cameos across the Astro games, which read like an audition for a full comeback. With Asobi ruled out, the most likely explanation is that the studio is busy with its own next project while someone else entirely handles the monkeys.
The Bandai Namco denial is just as telling. Sony has already tested the outsourcing route for dormant series by licensing revivals such as PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY to the publisher, so Bamco would have been a tidy fit here too. If neither Asobi nor Bamco is attached, the developer question is genuinely wide open, and that unknown is now the most interesting part of the story.
A series that defined PlayStation platforming
Ape Escape earned its legacy early. Developed by Japan Studio and released on the original PlayStation in 1999, it was the first PlayStation game to require the DualShock controller, using the right analog stick to swing gadgets like the Time Net used to round up escaped monkeys. The concept carried through the PS2 years, but the last mainline entry, Ape Escape 3, arrived in 2005, and the franchise has been largely dormant ever since, as Metro reports.
Sony has never fully let the series fade, though. Its characters keep resurfacing in PlayStation nostalgia projects, including one of the two removable dioramas in the LEGO PlayStation set that launched on October 1. Those guest spots kept the brand warm with longtime fans while a full revival stayed off the schedule for two console generations.
What a revival could look like
Nothing about the format is settled, and that is worth stating plainly. This could be a full remake, a brand new entry, or a smaller scale project, and no title, platform list, or window has surfaced. The reporting so far describes interest and exploration rather than a finished plan, so readers should treat every detail as rumor until Sony speaks.
The developer question will shape expectations more than anything else. Sony has few internal studios known for family friendly games outside of Media Molecule, which is why outside observers see an external partner as a real possibility. Whoever takes it on would inherit a series whose gadget driven platforming still has no direct modern rival, and a fan base that has waited long enough to turn even an emoji into headline news.
Is a new Ape Escape officially confirmed
No. Sony has said nothing about the project. Everything traces back to one insider tease on ResetEra, so the revival remains a rumor until PlayStation announces something directly.
Is Team Asobi developing the new Ape Escape
According to NateTheHate, no. The Astro Bot studio is not attached to the project, which suggests Asobi is focused on its own next game while a different and still unknown team handles the series.
When was the last Ape Escape game
The last mainline entry was Ape Escape 3, which reached the PlayStation 2 in 2005. The series has been largely dormant since then, surviving through cameos and nostalgia appearances rather than new releases.
What made the original Ape Escape important
The 1999 PS1 debut from Japan Studio was the first PlayStation game to require the DualShock controller. Its gadget based monkey catching, built around the right analog stick, made it a landmark showcase for analog control on consoles.
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