Sly Cooper is set to receive a bundle of brand-new merchandise to celebrate the iconic franchise's 20th anniversary. Since the launch of the first game on PS2 in 2002, Sly and friends would star in a trilogy that would become one of the most fondly remembered titles of its era. While the series largely went dormant following the original trilogy, Sly did return for one more adventure in 2013's Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. Now, Sony and Sucker Punch have officially revealed new memorabilia to commemorate the anniversary.
Sucker Punch Communications Manager Andrew Goldfarb officially revealed the new merch through the PlayStation Blog, celebrating Sly Cooper's anniversary. Sucker Punch has partnered with video game art printer Cook & Becker to release a high-quality framed print of the anniversary art, also available as a poster through the official PlayStation shop. Sony will also be releasing a Sly Cooper T-Shirt featuring new art of Sly, Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita Fox. Sucker Punch will be partnering up with online gaming retailer Fangamer to create a Sly Cooper plush, set to release in early 2023.
The anniversary post shared reflections on the franchise from several members of Sly Cooper staff. Creative Director Nate Fox reminisced on the early days of creating the Sly Cooper franchise when the team working on the game was smaller and allowed for more wild ideas. Programming Director Adrian Bentley remembered creating a "lemonade drinking mini-game" when the team was working on Sly 3, remarking that it was shelved just three weeks before shipping. Others like Sucker Punch co-founder Brian Fleming and Senior Technical Artist Rob McDaniel also shared stories.
Alongside the release of the newest Sly Cooper merchandise, Sony helped to ring in the anniversary with PS Plus earlier this week. This past Tuesday, September 20th, saw the Sly Cooper Collection added to PS Plus with the first three games available for Premium plan subscribers. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time was not included with the PS Plus update, with the fourth main-series game being developed by Sanzaru Games instead of Sucker Punch.
While many fans have hoped for a return to the Sly Cooper franchise, especially given the recent resurgence of 3D platformers, Sucker Punch has tempered fan expectations for a new game. Rumors swirled earlier this year about a new Sly Cooper game for PS5 being in development, potentially being revealed alongside the franchise's anniversary. However, Sucker Punch would later quash those rumors, confirming a new Sly Cooper is not currently in the works. While fans may not be getting a new Sly Cooper, the return of the Sly Cooper Collection will give fans on PS Plus Premium a chance to relive Sly's classic adventures.
Source: PlayStation