New Jak and Daxter Game Isn't in Development at Naughty Dog

Although Naughty Dog has become one of the most popular developers in the world mainly thanks to its franchises such as Uncharted and The Last of Us, many still hold a fond spot in their heart for the studio's PlayStation 2 era platformer series Jak and Daxter. In fact, many longtime Naughty Dog fans have been crossing their fingers in recent years that the developer would one day return to the property. Sadly, it doesn't sound like this will be happening any time soon.

In a new conversation during the Academy of Interactive Arts & Science's Game Maker's Notebook series that featured Naughty Dog's co-president Evan Wells, it was confirmed that the studio currently isn't working on a new Jak and Daxter title. Wells said specifically that many fans of the company have been asking them to bring back the series for quite some time. "We've had a couple of Twitter campaigns where people have been tweeting us every single day [saying] 'I want a new Jak and Daxter, I want a new Jak and Daxter', and they aren't just simple 280-character tweets, they have Photoshopped memes and everything they're including on a daily basis, and the effort has got to be significant," Wells explained. "And I hate to break it to them, [but] we do not have Jak and Daxter here in development right now."

Wells went on to say that the studio still has a great fondness for the Jak and Daxter characters and expressed that he wishes it was a property Naughty Dog could return to. The president even specifically pointed to Insomniac Games and its continued work on the Ratchet & Clank series, which also began on the PS2, as something that makes those at Naughty Dog wish they could work on a new Jak and Daxter game.

As for what Naughty Dog actually is developing right now, it seems like we have a pretty good idea. Not only is the studio seemingly still working on its standalone multiplayer version of Factions from The Last of Us Part II, but a recent report also indicates that a full-blown remake of The Last of Us is also in the works for PlayStation 5. That latter project, however, isn't one that many fans are thrilled about in the slightest.

With Jak and Daxter now out of the question, what would you like to see Naughty Dog release next? Let me know either down in the comments or over on Twitter at @MooreMan12.

[H/T VGC]