Ape Escape reportedly returning under Sonic Mania developers

PlayStation’s beloved monkey-catching franchise, Ape Escape, is reportedly making a comeback. According to reports from industry journalist Jeff Gerstmann, which align with independent information gathered by VGC, a revival of the classic series is currently in development at Evening Star.

Evening Star is a studio that commands a lot of respect in the platforming community. They were the team behind the critically acclaimed Sonic Mania and more recently released the 3D platformer Penny’s Big Breakaway. While fans initially speculated that Astro Bot developers Team Asobi might be behind the project, current reports suggest Sony is opting for an external studio approach to bring the franchise back to life.

The state of the project

While the news is exciting for fans of the franchise, those expecting a reveal anytime soon may need to practice patience. Gerstmann noted on his podcast that the project has been in the works for some time, but was still in early development as of earlier this year. When he began inquiring about the title at the D.I.C.E. Summit in February, the information indicated that the project had only recently been greenlit and was just getting underway.

This move appears to be part of a broader strategy at Sony Interactive Entertainment. Sources indicate that Sony is actively looking to license its dormant intellectual properties to smaller, third-party developers. We have already seen a similar experiment with the Everybody’s Golf franchise, which was licensed to Bandai Namco. Furthermore, there are whispers regarding a potential revival of the Killzone series, currently rumored to be in the early stages of a remaster or remake.

Why it matters

For long-time PlayStation players, the return of Ape Escape represents a significant shift in how Sony treats its classic library. By entrusting smaller, specialized teams like Evening Star with these dormant franchises, Sony is finding a way to revitalize legacy titles without diverting resources away from its major internal studios. If this strategy proves successful, it could signal a wave of classic PlayStation mascots returning to modern consoles.

Because the game is still in the early stages of development, there is currently no word on regional availability, Arabic localization, or a projected release window. Players should keep an eye on official announcements from Sony, as the company has yet to provide a formal comment on these reports.