Sony Interactive Entertainment has reportedly become more open to outside studios pitching projects based on dormant PlayStation franchises, with Sly Cooper, Ape Escape and Killzone among the properties said to be involved. The claim comes from ResetEra user Angie, who says Sony has recently opened the door to licensing-style agreements in which external developers work on Sony-owned IP. Sony has not publicly announced such a program for game development, so the information should be treated as an unconfirmed report.
According to Angie, Sony is accepting multiple pitches and would fund and publish approved projects through PlayStation Studios while development is handled by external teams. The leaker specifically named Sly Cooper, Ape Escape and Killzone as franchises they are aware of, though that does not mean all three projects have entered production. Angie also said some externally developed titles could receive support or supervision from the original PlayStation studio associated with the property.
The report follows separate indications that Sony is considering bringing back older franchises. Leaker NateDrake recently said Sony is looking to revive dormant properties while responding to discussion surrounding Ape Escape, and specifically indicated that Team Asobi is not developing the rumored project. He also said Bandai Namco is not involved to his knowledge, although he noted he would need to check again for complete certainty.
Killzone provides the clearest example of how the reported approach could work. MP1st reported in September that Guerrilla Games is involved with a new Killzone project alongside an external studio, with the outlet saying a remaster or remake is in the very early stages of production. MP1st further reported that People Can Fly is likely the outside developer, connecting the project to a previously disclosed collaboration between People Can Fly and Sony involving an existing PlayStation intellectual property.
That arrangement broadly aligns with Angie’s description of external studios working on Sony-owned games while the original developer remains involved in some capacity. However, the overlap does not independently confirm the wider claim that Sony has established a broader initiative for Sly Cooper, Ape Escape or other franchises. The distinction matters because projects in the pitching or early planning stage can change substantially or be cancelled before they are ever announced.
Sony has already demonstrated a willingness to use outside developers for games based on established first-party properties. God of War: Sons of Sparta, for example, was developed by Mega Cat Studios with involvement from Santa Monica Studio, showing that PlayStation does not necessarily need the original franchise team to lead every new project. A broader version of that strategy could allow Sony to revisit older properties without diverting its major internal studios from their current games.
Sly Cooper has not received a new standalone entry since Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time launched in 2013, while the Ape Escape series has remained largely dormant for even longer. Killzone’s most recent full release was Killzone Shadow Fall, which arrived alongside the PlayStation 4 in 2013. All three therefore fit the description of franchises that could be revived without overlapping with active annual or near-annual release schedules.
For now, there is no official confirmation that new Sly Cooper or Ape Escape games have been approved, nor has Sony announced a formal program inviting developers to pitch dormant PlayStation IP. The strongest supporting evidence comes from the separately reported Killzone collaboration and NateDrake’s comments about Sony revisiting older properties. Until Sony or one of the involved studios announces specific projects, the reported licensing strategy and the individual franchise pitches remain rumors rather than confirmed additions to the PlayStation Studios lineup.
