Matt Groening hints The Simpsons: Hit & Run is coming back “in some form”

Matt Groening has given The Simpsons: Hit & Run fans their strongest reason for optimism in years, although there is still no official announcement of a remaster, remake or modern port.

During The Simpsons: Stories from Springfield panel at D23 2026, Groening was asked about the possibility of a sequel to the cult 2003 game. Showrunner Matt Selman said it would “certainly be a treat,” before Groening went a step further and said he thinks the original game is coming back “in some form.” Selman immediately added an “or not,” leaving the exchange tantalisingly ambiguous rather than confirming a project.

A hint, not an announcement

That distinction matters. Disney has not announced a new version of Hit & Run, and neither Groening nor Selman provided a developer, platforms, release window or even a specific format. Groening’s wording could fit anything from a straightforward re-release to a remaster or remake, but for now those possibilities remain speculation.

The setting makes the comment more interesting. Disney’s official D23 programme listed The Simpsons: Stories from Springfield as a panel with the show’s cast and creative team, and the 2026 event ran in Anaheim from August 14–16. Multiple outlets covering the panel reported the same Groening-Selman exchange.

Hit & Run has been difficult to bring back

The Simpsons: Hit & Run originally launched in 2003 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and Windows. Developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games, it turned Springfield into a driving-heavy action adventure with several playable Simpsons characters. More than two decades later, it still has no official modern-console release.

Selman has previously acknowledged the demand while warning that reviving the game is complicated. Earlier in 2026 he again stopped short of promising anything, describing the situation as unsettled and using “never say never” as his position on a possible return.

There has also been fresh activity around the name Radical. New Radical Games, formed by veterans associated with Radical Entertainment and Hothead Games, advertises development, porting and remastering work. Its existence prompted renewed Hit & Run speculation earlier this year, but it did not amount to evidence that the studio had been hired to revive the game.

The timing would make sense

Disney is already putting The Simpsons back on the big screen. The company has confirmed a new Simpsons movie for September 3, 2027, giving the franchise a major upcoming event around which other releases could potentially be positioned. That does not establish a connection to Hit & Run, but it makes Groening’s unusually specific wording especially easy to notice.

The game’s long absence is part of why even a vague comment carries weight. Hit & Run has never received the kind of routine current-generation reissue that many games from the same era have seen, despite sustained interest in a comeback. A modern release would therefore be the first official opportunity in years for console players to buy the game on contemporary hardware, assuming Groening’s comment ultimately leads to something concrete.

For now, the safest reading is also the most exciting one we can justify: the creator of The Simpsons believes the original Hit & Run will return in some form, while the showrunner quickly declined to let that become a firm announcement. Until Disney names a project, fans should treat it as a promising hint rather than a confirmed remaster.

Where to find it

• See Disney’s D23 2026 programme