Since the studio was founded all the way back in 1997, Fleming has been in charge. The company would become an official part of the PlayStation banner in 2000, and Fleming has steered it throughout the development of a host of games, from the Sly Cooper trilogy on the PS2, to the inFamous series on PS3. After the release of inFamous First Light on the PS4 back in 2014, the studio would then begin work on its most successful release—Ghost of Tsushima.

As for Fleming’s successors, both Connell and Bentley have been with Sucker Punch Productions for quite some time. Connell worked as co-director on both Ghost of Tsushima and its sequel, Ghost of Yōtei, while Bentley served as the technical director at the studio, steering its engineering and production efforts. The two will also serve as creative leads for Sucker Punch Productions alongside Nate Fox.

“Brian’s vision and leadership have shaped the studio’s culture of creativity and collaboration and established a foundation that Jason, Adrian, and the entire team will build on as they look to the future,” wrote Sony in its announcement.

Fleming had previously spoken quite a bit about the studio’s general direction in light of the successful release of Ghost of Yōtei earlier this year. Back in October, he had noted that Sucker Punch Productions will continue to remain a single-project studio, rather than splitting its teams up to work on multiple games at the same time.

He revealed this as part of an interview where he noted that, while he may not be sure about the studio’s next major project, he doesn’t want to overextend his teams by juggling multiple projects. He also noted that, while there is no shortage of good ideas to work on, the studio only really gets to pick one thing to work on.

“The truth is that whatever we do next, whether it’s continuing Ghost or going back to Sly, the decision is really more limited by, again, our cherishing of focus and time to iterate, which means that we really can only do one thing at a time,” he said. “If we were good at juggling four projects, yeah, we’d have a remaster, and let’s go do one of those, and one of those, and do some fan request, that would be really popular… But we only get to do one thing.”

“So it kind of has to be your best idea, right?” he continued. “And that’s really clarifying. It’s not like there aren’t 15 good ideas. But you only get to do one. And by the way, you only get to do one about every five years. So that choice is really important. I mean, that is choosing your college and your major every five years.”

For more details on the studio’s most recent release, Ghost of Yōtei, check out our review. The game is available on PS5, and just last month got an update that brought with it support for variable refresh rate displays.

“As our games continue to grow in scale and complexity, they require the full attention of our studio. With our focus on our current project, we have no plans to revisit inFamous or Sly Cooper right now, and no other studio is currently working on projects related to those franchises either. These characters are very special and near and dear to our hearts, so while we’d never say never to re-opening those doors down the road, for now, there are no inFamous or Sly Cooper games in development.”

In the meantime, inFamous 2’s servers for User-Generated Content will be undergoing maintenance to shift them to a “new home that will keep them up and running a bit longer.” The new servers will be sunset eventually but Sucker Punch wants to “keep them running for as long as there are active players.” It’s also working to make the Cole’s Legacy DLC for inFamous Second Son available on the PlayStation Store in all territories.

The DLC was previously exclusive to the Collector’s Edition so this is a good chance for Standard Edition owners to pick it up. As for what’s next at Sucker Punch, we may see a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima in the coming years. A recent position for Encounter Designer at Sucker Punch indicated that the studio is working on “an open-world game, with a particular focus on melee combat and stealth.”

That describes Ghost of Tsushima down to a tee. Regardless, stay tuned for an official announcement – it may be a while.

Along with Baker, prominent leaker AccountNgt has also made similar claims on Twitter of a Sly Cooper 5 being set for announcement later this year. Along with Sly Cooper 5, AccountNgt also claims that a game in the inFamous franchise is also under development. The superhero franchise has been dormant since 2014 saw the release of inFamous: Second Son, followed by its standalone expansion, inFamous: First Light.

It is worth noting that considering the reports of Sony’s lack of plans for June’s slate of gaming events, it is more likely that we’ll see Sly Cooper 5 announced during Sony’s reportedly-planned September event. Baker, AccountNgt, and previous reports indicate that Sony doesn’t have any event planned before September.

Rumours from earlier this year indicate that Sly Cooper 5 is being developed by Concrete Genie studio PixelOpus. Since series-creator Sucker Punch isn’t involved with Sly Cooper‘s new game, it is currently unknown what the studio is working on since the release of its critically-acclaimed game Ghost of Tsushima. Since rumours of a new inFamous game being in development are circulating, it is possible that Sucker Punch might be involved with development to some extent.

It is worth keeping in mind that, as these are rumours, they should all be taken with a grain of salt. Until Sony makes an official announcement, there is no veracity to claims of a new Sly Cooper or inFamous game.

https://twitter.com/accngt/status/1528867378708512768

Leaker AccountNGT recently tweeted that, “The next Sly Cooper is not developed by Sucker Punch.” Though further details were lacking, Xbox Era co-founder Nick Baker tweeted that it may be PixelOpus of Concrete Genie fame. Speaking to a source that gave the green light, though both are still “not 100 percent certain,” Baker said “It’s believed that PixelOpus (as many of you have guessed) possibly in collaboration with Sony Animation are the ones working on Sly. I also believe Sony Animation is on the cartoon project.”

PixelOpus was noted last year to be working on an “exciting” new PS5 title. If the rumors are true, then Sly Cooper would be akin to Twisted Metal which is getting a live-action television series along with the rumored new title. Time will tell but considering the rich lore of the series and its characters, a Sly Cooper cartoon would be pretty cool. Take things with a grain of salt as usually though and stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

https://twitter.com/accngt/status/1501232009599152129

Ok…so, my source *has* given me the green light, but we’re still not 100% certain. But it’s believed that Pixel Opus (as many of you have guessed) possibly in collaboration with Sony Animation are the ones working on Sly. I also believe Sony Animation is on the cartoon project https://t.co/HcIY0UjFpz

— Balatro Nick  (@Shpeshal_Nick) March 9, 2022

However, in a recent tweet regarding Sly Cooper, a source speaking to AccountNGT reportedly said that Sony are “aiming for a reveal for the second half of 2022.” This seems fitting since the franchise’s anniversary falls on September 23rd. Since this year will mark the series’ 20th anniversary, it’s not at all far-fetched for the game to be teased, followed by a full reveal later this year.

Further lending fuel to the fire is the fact that the domain, slycooper.com, has been updated on March 4th according to WhoIs (with Sucker Punch Productions, developer of the first three games, being the registrant organization). The domain isn’t currently live but it is fairly conspicuous, especially with the rumored PlayStation Showcase/State of Play apparently happening this month.

Take everything with a grain of salt though and stay tuned for more details in the coming days.

https://twitter.com/accngt/status/1500521455251234816

However, one can also add Sucker Punch’s inFamous to that list as well. Leaker AccountNGT recently tweeted about the “announcement and release of some PlayStation IPs” that would be making “their return.” While Sony “won’t be announcing all their surprises” at this month’s rumored event, they were able to corroborate that “a new Sly Cooper and a new inFamous are in development.”

Xbox Era co-founder Nick Baker also reported that a new Sly Cooper is in the works. Baker also previously noted that a new inFamous could be unveiled at last year’s PlayStation Showcase, which ultimately didn’t come to pass. Perhaps we’ll see something during this month’s rumored event. Anything seems possible at this point so take it all with a grain of salt.

As for other possible announcements at the event, a delay for Luminous Productions’ Forspoken could be forthcoming. The title is currently slated to release on May 25th for PS5 and PC.

https://twitter.com/accngt/status/1499022481356644359

https://twitter.com/accngt/status/1499066075031482381

Nick Baker, co-founder of Xbox Era – who’s had a solid track record with leaks, including a number of PlayStation-related ones – recently took to Twitter and claimed that a new Sly Cooper game is indeed in the works, which is something that he’s mentioned before as well. There’s no word on who the developer for this game might be- only that it is being made.

The last Sly Cooper game came way back in 2013 with Thieves in Time, which was developed by Sanzaru Games, not Sucker Punch. Of course, this information is unverified as yet, so it’s best to take it with a grain of salt for now. Either way, there’s no shortage of people who’d absolutely love to see a new Sly Cooper game in the relatively near future.

Hey Sly fans. I guess some good news? My “normal” Sony source (was originally told by a newer source) just confirmed to me that Sly is indeed coming back. That’s it. That’s all. Just an update since many of you still DM me to this day.

— Balatro Nick  (@Shpeshal_Nick) October 4, 2021

Crafting a new IP from scratch is always a daunting task, especially when being done on the highest rungs of the AAA space, but Sony and Sucker Punch are both taking that leap soon with the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima. But though there’s plenty of new things to be excited about with the upcoming open world game, those who’ve been following Sucker Punch and playing their games for years will find some familiar things on the island of Tsushima as well.

You can expect there to be plenty of hidden secrets and easter eggs from Sucker Punch’s Sly Cooper and inFamous franchises in Ghost of Tsushima. Speaking with GameStop in a Q&A session, the developers said players will find plenty of those if they “know what to look for.”

“If you know what to look for, there are a few Sly and Infamous easter eggs hidden in the game,” the developer said.

Ghost of Tsushima is out exclusively for the PS4 on July 17, while pre-loading for the game is live on the PlayStation Store now. Recently, the developers gave more information on the game’s open world and what players can expect from it in terms of variety. Read more on that through here.

But one name that may escape others’ mentions might be that of Sly Cooper, whose releases earned a modest amount of popularity, such that Sly Cooper was one of the characters chosen to be playable as part of the Smash-like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. But why no word on the franchise for so long? We’ll look back on the franchise with this article on What the hell happened to Sly Cooper?

The first Sly Cooper game – Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus – released for the PlayStation 2 in 2002 and 2003. It stars Sly Cooper, a master thief who is descended from a line of skilled vigilante thieves who target criminals, as he takes on the Fiendish Five in search of the Thievius Raccoonus, a family heirloom that contains the accumulated thieving techniques of past generations of Coopers. Sly Cooper has his own gang that helps him in his exploits – the turtle Bentley, who specializes in hacking, and Murray the hippopotamus, who is responsible for helping the gang make getaways, and these three friends all met in Mrs. Puffin’s Orphanage, wherein they pulled off their first together as kids – plotting to steal a jar of cookies from Mrs. Puffin’s office.

The Fiendish Five, all of whom are criminals and are responsible for killing Sly Cooper’s father before he could pass the Thievius Raccoonus to him, have divided the Thievius Raccoonus amongst themselves, and have hideouts around the world from which they scheme to terrorize the local population. Sly Cooper games are platformers, but you aren’t encouraged to run around and attack all enemies in sight with your cane; rather, these are stealth games, in which you should be using your environment or movement to sneak up on or evade enemies and security systems. The games feature cel-shaded rendering, which makes the action cartoony and fun.

While the first game initially didn’t sell well, having to compete with other major platformers such as the first Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank games, it eventually sold enough to be part one of Sony’s Greatest Hits, and the game and its developer, Sucker Punch Productions, were later recognized for their game design achievements, with the game still reviewing well amongst publications.

The first game would be followed up by Sly 2: Band of Thieves, releasing for the PS2 in 2004 and 2005. It is a significant evolution from the first game and introduces several major gameplay changes, including a health bar and a special gadget bar called the Thief Meter and the Gadget Meter respectively, and the ability to play as Bentley and Murray but with more fleshed out combat and gameplay styles in comparison to the first game. Many power-ups can now be purchased, rather than found throughout playing the game or in vaults (though some power-ups are still found in vaults.) In the second game, Sly and his gang are retrieving the scattered parts of the destroyed Clockwerk, so that they can never pose a threat to him or the world once used or reassembled.

The next Sly Cooper game is Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. The game was also notable for including 3D gameplay sections, and for packages of the game including 3D glasses, though playing through the game in 3D is optional. The game also introduces a number of other new gameplay elements and includes four two-player mini-games.

The last Sly Cooper game is Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, which released in 2013 for the PS3, three years after the The Sly Collection was released for the PS3 – a compilation of remasters of the first three Sly Cooper games. It was developed by Sanzaru Games, which was responsible for The Sly Collection. Thieves in Time features Sly, Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita as playable characters. Bentley, who is holding onto the Thievius Raccoonus, notices that its pages are disappearing (with Penelope also disappearing during this time) and so Sly’s gang is reassembled to travel back in time to investigate and find out who is behind the disappearance of its pages.  A secret ending reveals that Sly later somehow awakens in Ancient Egypt, setting up a sequel.

What of the future of the franchise? It is modestly popular, with Sly and Bentley appearing in PlayStation Move Heroes, Sly’s gang and Carmelita appearing in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and two comics, which take place between the first and second games, and the second and third games. A Sly Cooper movie has been in the planning stages, but after the failure of the Ratchet and Clank movies, it appears to be in development hell.

And in 2017, Sony announced that a Sly Cooper animated television series consisting of 52 11-minute episodes, with a premier date set for 2019, following the main three members of Sly’s gang, being vigilantes for justice while escaping the grasp of Carmelita Fox. Earlier in May, it was also announced that Sony had opened their own movie and television production studio in California, leading to speculation that the Sly Cooper TV series might be produced there. As for the games themselves, after Thieves in Time was completed, Sanzaru expressed interest in continuing the franchise, but whether or not that would happen depends on Sony’s word. But as of November 2014, Sanzaru Games has stated that “there are no plans for another Sly Cooper title.”

And considering the great time it has been since that remark, it seems unlikely that Sony is trying to push a revival of the colorful stealth platformer series. Generally, Sony’s stance seems to be to quietly ignore the franchise, and not answer questions about it so as to not fuel any fires or draw attention to it.

Understandably this is a move that invited some ire from fans, but with the revival of the Crash Bandicoot series and the release of Spyro: Reignited Trilogy, along with fan demand for new games from the Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank series, the timing is ripe for fans to push for more Sly Cooper! Let us know about your favorite Sly Cooper game in the comments section below, and what you might expect from a Sly Cooper 5. Should Sony re-release The Sly Collection for PS4?

Often, it’s the former. Being able to swim in video games, strangely enough, isn’t something that happens a lot. In this feature, we’ll be taking a look at fifteen unfortunate characters in games who’re terrible swimmers.

JOHN MARSTON (RED DEAD REDEMPTION)

The good old wild west isn’t a place where swimming is a life skill that you absolutely need to have- and John Marston takes that to heart. Put him in any body of water for even a second, and he’ll sink faster than a ton of bricks. The series is well aware of this, and takes every opportunity to poke fun at the outlaw’s inability to swim in Red Dead Redemption 2.

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