Leaks from a video game industry insider allege a Sly Cooper 5 is currently in development, and another game leaker has backed their claims. The original trilogy of cartoon platformers was developed by Sucker Punch Productions, while the series' fourth game was handed over to Sanzaru Games and released in 2013.
The Sly Cooper games became staple platformer titles after their releases between 2002 and 2005, despite being some of the very first games Sucker Punch developed. The series proved to be a success but underwent a period of inactivity after the studio's final Sly Cooper release, due to its shift in focus to the new Infamous series. Sucker Punch left the future of the franchise in the hands of Sanzaru Games, which released a high-definition remastered collection of the original trilogy, followed by later the fourth installment, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time.
Sly Cooper could be making a return, though. A recent video from YouTuber Canadian Guy Eh reports several potential leaks suggest a Sly Cooper 5 is in development. In response to a since-deleted, alleged leak on 4chan, Reddit user and industry insider Nick Baker also claimed to have heard a fifth game is in the works - by "someone," allegedly not Sucker Punch. Other Reddit users entertained the idea that Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time developer Sanzaru Games could be helming the project, although its 2020 acquisition by Facebook has caused some skepticism.
This is not the first time word has sprung up about a Sly Cooper revival. In 2017, a 52-episode Sly Cooper television series was announced, believed to be reaching audiences in 2019. However, it appears the show was thrown out after its studios, Technicolor and PGS Entertainment, quietly removed Sly Cooper from their upcoming projects list. While conversations around Sucker Punch's franchise have largely quieted since, the developer paid homage to the platformer in 2020 by implementing attainable Sly Cooper outfits in Ghost of Tsushima.
While the existence of Sly Cooper 5 is currently a mere rumor, there seems reason to believe official plans for such a game could appear in the future. Sure, hopes for a Sly Cooper television series were squashed, but returning to the game's original medium could prove to be a more successful move for the franchise. Only time will tell if Sucker Punch or another studio is actually taking on the task.
Source: Canadian Guy Eh/YouTube, Nick Baker/Reddit