Garick Elordi
The landscape of modern gaming is frequently defined by the revival of classic intellectual properties, yet one of the most prominent trilogies of the PlayStation 2 era remains notably absent from the current generation of hardware. Recent revelations from former employees of Sanzaru Games have confirmed that a professional "fan pitch" for a high-definition remaster of the Jak and Daxter franchise was developed in 2019, offering a glimpse into what could have been a spiritual successor to the successful revitalizations of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. Travis Howe, a former senior animator at Sanzaru Games, and Tyler Bronis, a senior character artist, shared details of the project via LinkedIn, following the closure of Sanzaru Games by Meta earlier this year.
The project was not a commissioned effort by Sony Interactive Entertainment but was instead an internal initiative spearheaded by a passionate team of developers at Sanzaru. The goal was to create a "vertical slice" or proof-of-concept that would convince Sony to grant the studio permission to proceed with a full-scale remake or remaster of the original Naughty Dog trilogy. This revelation comes at a time when the gaming industry is grappling with the balance between new intellectual properties and the preservation of "Golden Age" platformers that defined the early 2000s.
The Technical Heritage of Jak and Daxter and the Sanzaru Pedigree
To understand the significance of the Sanzaru pitch, it is necessary to examine the historical weight of the Jak and Daxter franchise. Developed by Naughty Dog and debuting in 2001 with Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, the series was a technical marvel. It was one of the first 3D platformers to feature a seamless open world without loading screens—a feat achieved through sophisticated background streaming technologies that pushed the PlayStation 2 hardware to its absolute limits.
Following the success of the first game, Naughty Dog pivoted the series toward a darker, more narrative-driven action-adventure style with Jak II (2003) and Jak 3 (2004). This evolution mirrored the industry’s shift toward mature storytelling, blending traditional platforming with vehicular combat and third-person shooting. Despite the franchise’s critical and commercial success, Naughty Dog eventually moved on to create Uncharted and The Last of Us, leaving the Jak and Daxter IP in a state of semi-dormancy, save for a few spin-offs and high-definition ports of the original code.
Sanzaru Games was uniquely positioned to handle a revival. The California-based studio had already proven its capability with Sony’s "legacy" platforming IPs. In 2010, Sanzaru developed The Sly Collection for the PlayStation 3, which successfully ported the original Sucker Punch Productions trilogy to HD. Their success with the port led Sony to greenlight Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (2013), the fourth installment in the series. Given this track record, the team’s decision to pitch a Jak and Daxter project was a logical progression of their expertise in translating PlayStation 2-era aesthetics into modern visual standards.
Analysis of the 2019 Pitch and Visual Direction
The evidence of the pitch consists of a 26-second animation test shared by Travis Howe. The clip features a shot-for-shot recreation of a classic cutscene involving the series’ protagonists, Jak and his "ottsel" companion, Daxter. The animation showcases a significant leap in fidelity, utilizing modern lighting, high-resolution textures, and expressive facial rigging that maintains the "squash and stretch" appeal of the original character designs.
According to Tyler Bronis, the work on this pitch occurred in 2019. This timing is critical, as it coincided with the massive commercial success of Activision’s Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (2017) and Spyro Reignited Trilogy (2018). Those projects, developed by Vicarious Visions and Toys for Bob respectively, demonstrated that there was a multi-million-unit market for faithful, ground-up recreations of 90s and 2000s platformers. The Sanzaru pitch clearly aimed to replicate that "Reignited" aesthetic—retaining the original voice acting and timing while completely overhauling the geometry and environmental detail.
The visual style seen in the leaked clip suggests a bridge between the cartoonish roots of the first game and the more detailed, industrial aesthetic of the later sequels. Industry analysts note that such a project would have required a delicate balance; while The Precursor Legacy is a bright, whimsical platformer, Jak II and Jak 3 feature a grittier, "Grand Theft Auto-lite" world in Haven City. Sanzaru’s pitch appeared designed to prove they could handle the expressive character work necessary for both tones.
The Timeline of Development and Studio Transitions
The timeline of the Jak and Daxter pitch provides insight into why the project never reached fruition. Following the internal development of the pitch in 2019, the corporate landscape for Sanzaru Games shifted dramatically. In February 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced the acquisition of Sanzaru Games to bolster its Oculus Studios division.
This acquisition effectively ended Sanzaru’s relationship with Sony Interactive Entertainment. Under Meta, the studio was tasked with developing high-profile virtual reality titles, most notably Asgard’s Wrath 2, which was released to critical acclaim in late 2023. However, the shift to VR meant that any pursuit of Sony-owned intellectual property was no longer feasible. The final blow came in early 2024, when Meta, amidst a broader corporate restructuring and a pivot toward AI and efficiency, shuttered Sanzaru Games as part of a wave of layoffs affecting its reality labs division.
The release of the pitch footage now, several months after the studio’s closure, serves as a portfolio piece for the developers involved. It also acts as a public "what if" scenario, highlighting the internal passion that exists within the development community for franchises that publishers may currently view as secondary priorities.
Market Context and the Success of the Platforming Genre
The revelation of the Sanzaru pitch has reignited discussions regarding Sony’s strategy for its legacy mascot characters. In recent years, Sony has focused heavily on "prestige" third-person action-adventure games like God of War, Horizon, and The Last of Us. While these titles have been immense successes, a segment of the PlayStation fanbase has remained vocal about the lack of variety in the first-party lineup, specifically regarding family-friendly platformers.
The data supports the viability of the genre. The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy sold over 10 million units by 2019, proving that nostalgia is a powerful driver of sales. More recently, the release of Astro Bot (2024) by Team Asobi has received near-universal critical acclaim and strong initial sales, signaling a renewed interest in high-quality 3D platforming on the PlayStation 5.
The Jak and Daxter franchise is often cited alongside Ratchet & Clank and Sly Cooper as the "Trinity" of the PS2 era. While Ratchet & Clank has continued to thrive with the 2016 remake and the 2021 release of Rift Apart, both Jak and Sly have been relegated to the PlayStation Plus Classics catalog. The Sanzaru pitch suggests that developers within the industry see the "missing piece" of the puzzle and have actively tried to fill the void.
Industry Reactions and the "Fan Pitch" Phenomenon
The concept of a "fan pitch" originating from within a professional studio is a recurring theme in the video game industry. Developers often use downtime between projects or "Friday afternoon" creative sessions to build prototypes of games they personally love. Travis Howe’s call for fans to "like and share" the post is an attempt to quantify demand, a tactic sometimes used to catch the eye of IP holders like Sony.
While Sony has not officially commented on the Sanzaru footage, the reaction from the gaming community has been overwhelmingly positive. Social media metrics indicate a high level of engagement with the leaked clip, with fans pointing to the lack of a proper Jak and Daxter title since 2009’s The Lost Frontier (developed by High Impact Games) as a major oversight in Sony’s current portfolio.
However, industry experts caution that a pitch is only the first step in a long and expensive process. A full remake of the Jak and Daxter trilogy would be a massive undertaking. Unlike the linear levels of Crash Bandicoot, the Jak series features large, interconnected worlds and complex physics systems. To bring Haven City to life with modern assets would require a budget and development timeline comparable to a modern AAA release.
Future Implications for the Jak and Daxter IP
The disclosure of the 2019 Sanzaru pitch highlights a bittersweet reality of the modern gaming industry: the existence of high-quality concepts that are stifled by corporate acquisitions and shifting market priorities. With Sanzaru Games now closed and its talent dispersed to other studios, the specific vision presented in the pitch is unlikely to ever be realized in its original form.
Nevertheless, the viral nature of the footage may serve as a wake-up call for Sony Interactive Entertainment. As the company looks toward the latter half of the PlayStation 5 lifecycle, the demand for "safer" yet highly beloved projects is increasing. Remakes and remasters provide a way to bridge gaps between major new releases while satisfying long-term fans.
For now, the Jak and Daxter series remains available primarily through emulated versions of the original hardware code. While these versions preserve the gameplay, they lack the modern refinements in camera control, resolution, and asset quality that a project like Sanzaru’s would have provided. The leaked pitch stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Naughty Dog’s creation and a reminder that, in the hearts of developers and fans alike, the Precursor legacy is far from forgotten. Whether Sony will eventually heed the call of its community and commission a similar project remains to be seen, but the Sanzaru revelation has ensured that the conversation around Jak and Daxter’s return is louder than it has been in over a decade.
