Gaming

Matt Groening Accidentally Hints Springfield's GTA Clone Could Finally Return

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Key takeaways

Matt Groening told a D23 2026 panel Hit & Run is 'coming back in some form,' but showrunner Matt Selman quickly walked the comment back.
Hit & Run originally launched in 2003 on GameCube, PS2, and Xbox; no remaster, port, or sequel has ever been released.
Groening's mention of 'the original game' suggests a remaster or remake rather than a new sequel, though nothing has been officially confirmed.

Matt Groening appeared to let a major gaming secret slip at Disney's D23 2026 fan event, telling a Simpsons panel audience that the beloved 2003 open-world game Hit & Run is 'coming back in some form.' The moment was short-lived, however — current series showrunner Matt Selman quickly cut in with a deflating '…or not,' leaving the room and the internet in a state of excited confusion. No official announcement followed, and neither Disney, nor the rights holders, nor any publisher has confirmed a project is in development.

Hit & Run launched in September 2003 for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and the original Xbox, developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Games. The title blended Springfield's iconic visual style with Grand Theft Auto-style open-world driving and mission gameplay, earning an 8.1 out of 10 from IGN at the time, which described it as 'undeniably the perfect game for Simpsons fans.' It became one of the most fondly remembered licensed games of its era and has never received a remaster, port, or sequel in the more than two decades since release.

Groening's specific phrasing — 'the original game is coming back' — has led fans and analysts alike to speculate that any revival would more likely take the shape of a remaster or remake rather than a full sequel or franchise reboot. That distinction matters commercially: a remaster would require less development time and could capitalize on nostalgia almost immediately, whereas a sequel would demand a creative overhaul and a new publisher relationship. Nothing about the current rights landscape has been publicly clarified.

The appetite for a return has been building for years. In a 2023 interview with MinnMax, several of the game's original developers expressed genuine surprise that Hit & Run had never been revisited, given its sustained cult following. Showrunner Selman himself added fuel in March of this year, telling fans they should 'never say never' when asked about a comeback. Radical Entertainment, the Vancouver studio that built the original, was shut down by Activision in 2012, though it was reported earlier this year that the studio name is being revived — a development that excited fans who caught the connection.

For now, the situation sits somewhere between a tease and a slip. Social media lit up after Groening's comments, with fans sharing clips and memories of Springfield's open streets. Whether the creator was previewing something real or simply voicing his own hopes remains unclear. Groening is the franchise's originator, but game publishing decisions rest with rights holders and platform partners — not the show's creator — which makes Selman's quick interjection all the more telling.

The bigger picture

The Hit & Run situation illustrates a tension that comes up repeatedly in gaming revivals: fan demand is enormous and clearly documented, but the business logistics — who owns what, which studio could rebuild it, and which platform would publish it — rarely move as fast as enthusiasm does. Groening speaking about the game at D23 rather than a gaming event like The Game Awards or Summer Game Fest is notable. Disney events skew toward broad audience announcements, which suggests either this was an unplanned admission or any potential project is still very early in its lifecycle.

From a competitive standpoint, a Hit & Run remaster would land in a market where GTA VI is expected to dominate open-world conversation for years. Paradoxically, that might actually help a Springfield revival — players looking for a lighter, humor-forward alternative to Rockstar's relentless scale could find exactly that in a polished Hit & Run remaster. Publishers like Limited Run Games or even a platform holder like Microsoft or Sony could theoretically attach themselves to the project as a nostalgia-driven mid-tier release, a category that has performed well in recent years with titles like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.

What readers should watch is whether any studio — particularly the newly revived Radical Entertainment name — files trademarks, posts job listings related to the IP, or if Selman makes any further public comments. The showrunner's 'never say never' remark from earlier this year and his quick correction at D23 together suggest he knows more than he's letting on. A formal announcement at a gaming-specific event before the end of 2025 or early 2026 would be the logical next step if a project is genuinely in motion.

LagPing's take

We covered this story because Hit & Run occupies a genuinely rare space in gaming history — it's a licensed game that people actually love, and that combination is rarer than it should be. When the creator of The Simpsons drops a hint at a major Disney event and the showrunner immediately tries to walk it back, that's a moment worth documenting carefully. We've been careful here not to overstate what Groening said, because the last thing fans need is another cycle of hype followed by silence. That said, the accumulation of signals — the developers' own surprise at the lack of a remaster, Selman's 'never say never,' the Radical Entertainment name resurfacing, and now this — feels like more than coincidence. We'll keep tracking this one closely and update our coverage the moment anything official surfaces.

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