Matt Groening says The Simpsons: Hit & Run is coming back “in some form” — a remark made on a Simpsons panel at D23 that the show’s current showrunner spent the next moment trying to walk back.
Asked whether there will be another Hit & Run game, the series creator answered:
“I think the original game is coming back in some form…”
Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, at D23
Showrunner Matt Selman’s reply was “…or not.” Empire, which reported the exchange, noted it sounded like “there may be some news coming that wasn’t supposed to be announced yet.”
Why Simpsons Hit & Run is still beloved
Hit & Run is the 2003 open-world take on Springfield from Radical Entertainment and Vivendi Universal Games — Grand Theft Auto with the show’s cast, missions and sense of humour, and widely regarded as the best Simpsons tie-in game. It sold over three million copies and remains the Simpsons game people still ask about. IGN scored it 8.1/10, calling it “undeniably the perfect game for Simpsons fans.”
What’s confirmed so far
The comment is not an announcement. Groening’s phrasing — “the original game” — points at a remaster or remake rather than a sequel, but nothing has been confirmed by anyone with the authority to confirm it. The trail of hints stretches back months: Selman said “never say never” in March, VGC’s Jordan Middler teased in June that the Activision remaster “everyone’s absolutely desperate for is happening”, and the original studio re-emerged as New Radical Games in February. Long-awaited returns are in fashion — The Wolf Among Us 2 finally got a 2027 window, and Agent 47’s classics are getting the remaster treatment.
For now, the man who created Springfield has said the words. The official announcement, when it comes, may be worded rather more carefully.
Is The Simpsons: Hit & Run actually coming back?
Not officially. Matt Groening said at D23 that “the original game is coming back in some form”, but showrunner Matt Selman immediately added “…or not”. No publisher has confirmed a remaster or remake.
What platforms was the original Simpsons: Hit & Run released on?
GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in September 2003, with a Windows port that November. A modern return would presumably target current consoles and PC, though nothing is confirmed.
Who owns The Simpsons: Hit & Run?
The game was developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. Vivendi’s games arm merged into Activision Blizzard in 2008, and The Simpsons itself is owned by Disney through Fox — which is part of why a return has taken 23 years.
