Sony’s beloved Ape Escape franchise could be making a comeback, with a new entry reportedly being developed by Evening Star, the studio known for Sonic Mania and Penny’s Big Breakaway.

According to industry journalist Jeff Gerstmann and a report from VideoGamesChronicle, an external studio is allegedly working on a new Ape Escape project. The game is reportedly still in the early stages of development and is not expected to release anytime soon.

Gerstmann discussed the project during a recent episode of his podcast, explaining that he has been hearing about an Ape Escape revival for some time. While he stressed that the information is not backed by multiple sources, he said the project has reportedly been in development for close to a year.

Evening Star Is Reportedly Behind the Project

One of the more interesting details surrounding the rumor is the studio allegedly developing the game. Rather than Sony's Team Asobi, which some fans immediately suspected, Gerstmann claims an external developer is involved.

That developer is reportedly Evening Star, the studio behind Sonic Mania and Penny’s Big Breakaway.

Gerstmann said he had already been asking people about the rumored Ape Escape project during DICE earlier this year, suggesting the information had been circulating within industry circles as far back as February.

However, he also emphasized that this particular report should not be treated as fully confirmed, noting that it is not necessarily supported by multiple independent sources.

Sony Could Be Exploring More Franchise Revivals

The rumored Ape Escape project could potentially be part of a broader strategy from Sony to revive older franchises through outside developers.

VideoGamesChronicle points to Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots as a recent example. Rather than being developed internally by a traditional PlayStation studio, the latest Everybody’s Golf title was handled by Bandai Namco.

Sony has also previously revisited older properties through external development, including the 2019 remake of MediEvil.

If the Ape Escape report is accurate, Sony could be testing whether some of its smaller or dormant franchises can find new audiences without requiring one of its major internal studios to take on development.

Why Ape Escape Matters

Ape Escape holds a particularly important place in PlayStation history. The original game launched in 1999 and was notable for requiring the DualShock controller, making extensive use of its twin analog sticks.

The game's central mechanic revolved around capturing escaped monkeys using a variety of gadgets. The player's net was particularly important, requiring precise movements of the right analog stick to successfully catch the apes.

Beyond its capture mechanics, Ape Escape combined 3D platforming with puzzle-solving and exploration. Players frequently had to approach monkeys strategically, figuring out how to get close enough to capture them before they escaped.

That distinctive gameplay helped establish Ape Escape as one of the more memorable franchises of the original PlayStation era.

The Franchise Has Been Dormant for Years

The last mainline Ape Escape game was Ape Escape 3, which launched for PlayStation 2 in 2005. Since then, the series has largely remained dormant, although Sony has continued to reference it in other PlayStation projects.

Most recently, Ape Escape received a notable appearance in Astro Bot, with the 2024 platformer featuring the "Apes on the Loose" level based around the franchise.

For now, however, fans should treat the reported revival strictly as a rumor. Neither Sony nor Evening Star has officially announced a new Ape Escape game, and there is currently no confirmed release window.

If the project does exist, it could represent one of Sony's most interesting attempts yet to bring a classic P