For two decades, The Simpsons: Hit & Run has lived in that rarefied space reserved for cult classics that never stopped being requested—and now one of the people who helped make it is once again refusing to close the door. Matt Selman, current The Simpsons showrunner and a writer on the 2003 game, says “never say never” when asked about the chances of a comeback, while acknowledging the team is fully aware fans still want a remaster, remake, or even something new.
It’s not an announcement—far from it—but it’s the kind of public, on-the-record optimism that keeps the conversation alive at exactly the right time, with the original developer’s legacy suddenly back in the news.
The Quote That Keeps the Dream Alive
Selman’s latest comments come from an interview with People, where he reflects on Hit & Run’s legacy and the enduring demand for its return. His tone is cautious—he’s not teasing a reveal or hinting at a deal—but he’s also clearly not interested in shutting fans down.
“Nothing is set in stone,” Selman says, before landing on the line that’s already ricocheting around the community: “Never say never. Because we know people love it. We know they want it… If we know people want it, never say never.”
That’s the key takeaway: not that a PS5 remaster is in development (there’s no official confirmation of that), but that someone with real creative ties to the game is still talking about it like a living possibility rather than a dead relic.
And in licensed-game land—where rights, approvals, and corporate priorities can bury even the most obvious slam-dunks—that matters.
Why Hit & Run Still Hits: The GTA III Battle That Defined the Game
Selman also shared a telling behind-the-scenes detail that perfectly explains why Hit & Run has outlasted so many other licensed games from its era. During development, the team explicitly looked at Grand Theft Auto III as the blueprint—then fought to make sure the game actually delivered on that fantasy in a Simpsons-friendly way.
Selman recalls being in a meeting right after GTA III’s release and pushing for a core feature that seems unthinkable to omit now: getting in and out of cars.
“We were like, ‘This has to be The Simpsons version of that. You have to be able to get in and out of the cars,’” Selman says. “They so did not want people to get in and out of the cars. So, that was a huge battle we had to fight… We luckily won that battle because it is fun to get in and out of the cars.”
That anecdote is more than trivia—it’s a reminder that Hit & Run wasn’t just “Simpsons GTA” as a marketing pitch. It was a game built around a very specific kind of player freedom, and it fought for that identity. That’s why it’s still discussed with the kind of reverence most tie-in games never earn.
Selman also admits he didn’t see its long tail coming at all: “I had no idea it would become a cult game, a cult success.” Yet here we are, in 2026, still treating it like unfinished business.
The New Radical Games Factor (And Why Fans Are Connecting Dots)
Selman’s comments are landing in a moment where Radical Entertainment—the original developer behind The Simpsons: Hit & Run—is being talked about again due to the emergence of New Radical Games, described as essentially a revival of the Hit & Run development team.
To be clear: there’s no confirmed link between Selman’s remarks and New Radical Games, and it’s explicitly noted that it’s unlikely there’s a direct relation. But culturally? The timing is combustible. When a beloved game’s creative DNA starts resurfacing publicly, fans will naturally wonder if the industry is quietly lining up pieces behind the curtain.
And that’s where Selman’s “never say never” hits harder than it otherwise would. It’s not just a nostalgic shrug—it’s a statement that the demand is recognized, and that recognition can be the first domino in a corporate chain reaction.
What a PS5 Remaster Would Actually Mean (And Why It’s Not Simple)
It’s easy to say “just remaster it for PS5,” because the appetite is obviously there. But Hit & Run is also the kind of project that can get snarled up in realities fans don’t want to hear about: licensing, approvals, music, likenesses, platform strategy, and the general modern reluctance to revive older licensed titles unless the business case is bulletproof.
Selman doesn’t get into those specifics here, but his language—“nothing is certain,” “nothing is set in stone”—reads like someone who understands exactly how many gates a project like this has to pass through.
Still, the upside is obvious. A modern re-release would introduce Hit & Run to players who weren’t old enough to touch a PS2 or original Xbox, while giving longtime fans a cleaner, more accessible way to revisit a game that has remained frustratingly stranded in the past.
And importantly, Selman’s comments aren’t limited to a remaster. The conversation around a sequel or remake is also on the table in the broader framing of his remarks—again, not as a promise, but as a possibility he refuses to dismiss.
What Remains Unknown
- Whether any Hit & Run project (remaster, remake, or sequel) is actually in development
- Which platforms would be targeted (PS5 is the fan focus here, but nothing has been announced)
- Who would publish it, and who would develop it (including whether New Radical Games would be involved in any capacity)
- Any release window, pricing, or scope details—none have been confirmed
- Whether rights and licensing hurdles make a revival feasible in the near term
For now, this is hope—not a reveal. But it’s hope coming from someone who knows exactly why The Simpsons: Hit & Run became a cult success in the first place, and who’s openly acknowledging what fans have been shouting for years: people love it, and they want it back.
