10 Popular Video Games Developers Abandoned

Ratchet & Clank was a mainstay of PlayStation consoles for two generations, from 2002 through to 2013, and serving as one of the PS2's most iconic mascots. Primarily a single-player platformer-cum-shooter, many of the series' instalments achieved Platinum status due to their successful sales.

Occasionally, and perhaps inadvisedly, Insomniac Games would stray from the successful formula they had created and threw in the odd curveball - Ratchet & Clank: Deadlocked (Gladiator in Europe and Australia) was a split-screen arena shooter, and All 4 One was a four-player extravaganza frankly best forgotten.

Alas, as with so many successful video game franchises, Hollywood came calling, and in 2016 a sub-par film, reimagining the first game's events, hit cinemas with all the force of a ping-pong ball against a wall. Yet despite the movie's poor reception, the tie-in game was yet again a success for Insomniac, lauded by critics and fans alike.

So, a successful reboot reopening a window for further Ratchet & Clank games, yes? Well... no. Our furry friend and his adorable robot companion are apparently taking an extended holiday on some remote planet, seemingly forgotten by its developer. Despite millions of copies sold and frequent rumours of a new release, the universe has yet to be saved once again by the loveable lombax and his nerdy talking backpack. We can only hope that the latest whispers of a PS5 title in the works aren't just fans' confirmation bias giving us false hope.