Knack trademarked by Sony – can we expect a PS5 sequel?

Following this year’s Game Developers Conference, there have been plenty of PlayStation rumours flying around. Multiple insiders and outlets have been echoing the same rumour, teasing that Sony will be making some major announcements later this week as they prepare to unveil a rival service to Xbox Game Pass.

That’s cool and all, but where’s Knack 3? Well, for that one gamer who asked (even perhaps if in jest), we have some potentially exciting news for you. Sony has officially filed a trademark for Knack – according to Gematsu, this was done on March 17, 2022, in Japan.

What relevance do trademark listings have? In some cases, games have been leaked when this information goes public. For example, last year Namco Bandai filed trademarks for “Wahoo Encore” and “1&2 Encore”, which turned out to be remasters of the first two Klonoa games.

At the same time, publishers regularly renew trademarks they’ve already owned in the past. With Knack approaching its tenth anniversary (I developed a wrinkle just writing that) it’s likely the trademark was up for renewal.

So, what are the chances of a Knack 3, you ask? The original game was a PS4 launch title met by middling reviews – in our own Knack review we scored the game a 5/10. While a decent showpiece for Sony’s then-new console, it lacked the charm and fun factor of more established 3D platformers.

Knack 2

One of Knack 2’s highlights was its focus on co-op play.

A few years later, Sony would take another swing at the fledgling IP with Knack 2. The sequel was bigger and better in every way, though didn’t perform well in terms of sales. While the first game managed to sell fairly well, this was mainly due to it being a pack-in or bundle title.

That said, there’s definitely room within Sony’s exclusive lineup for a Knack 3. We could imagine a vibrant, family friendly 3D platformer in the same vein as Astro Bot, perhaps layering on more challenging puzzles and combat sections.

If anything, we’re sure to see Knack appear if Sony ever decides to revive its crossover fighting game series, PlayStation AllStars Battle Royale.

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