We live in a strange world indeed, my friends. Sony has just registered a trademark for former Xbox One-exclusive Sunset Overdrive, leading to speculation that the short-lived series could well be revived for PlayStation 5.
A quick history lesson, for those who aren't aware: Insomniac Games, developer of PlayStation hits like Ratchet & Clank and Marvel's Spider-Man, were never actually a PlayStation-owned studio until a few years ago. Before Sony finally put a ring on it in 2019, Insomniac developed the criminally underrated Sunset Overdrive as a title for the Xbox One in 2014.
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Since Insomniac, not Microsoft, owns the rights to Sunset Overdrive, the IP became property of Sony with the purchase of the studio. Sony has never expressed any real desire to anything with the series, presumably because Insomniac has been nailing it with Spidey and Ratchet & Clank. Most of us assumed we'd probably never see a sequel... until now.
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As spotted by Twitter user Nibel, PlayStation successfully registered the Sunset Overdrive name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office just last month. Trademarks aren't always a sign that a franchise is coming back, but VGC does point out that this registration comes hot on the heels of Sunset Overdrive's original director rejoining Insomniac after a period working over at Xbox.
Insomniac's next game is Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, which comes exclusively to PlayStation 5 on June 11. After that, we'd assume Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will be the focus, but who's to say Sunset Overdrive won't get a sequel or updated PS5 remake somewhere down the line? The original game was damn good fun, and I'm very much in support of anything that will convince more people to pick up and play one of the most vibrant and inventive Xbox exclusives ever made.
Featured Image Credit: Microsoft/SonyTopics: Xbox, GAMING, News, Microsoft, PlayStation, Spider-Man