James Pond: Rogue AI Announced for 2025 – Gameware Europe Revives Classic Series Without Original Creator

Gameware Europe has officially announced its latest project, James Pond: Rogue AI, marking an ambitious attempt to revive the iconic 1990s platforming franchise for a new generation of gamers.

The announcement, made public on July 10th, 2024, through Gameware Europe’s YouTube and Facebook channels, has sparked renewed interest in the quirky aquatic secret agent who once entertained players across platforms like the Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive. James Pond: Rogue AI is slated for release in the fourth quarter of 2025 and will launch on PC, iOS, and Android.

Notably, the new title will not feature any involvement from Chris Sorrell, the designer credited with creating the original James Pond trilogy.

Sorrell was instrumental in shaping the franchise’s unique blend of parody, platforming, and humor during its early years, but according to Gameware Europe, he is not participating in this installment. From early promotional footage shared by the developer, Rogue AI will bring back familiar elements such as character stretching and flying mechanics reminiscent of the celebrated sequel James Pond: Codename Robocod, while also introducing new gameplay features, including a bumper car vehicle that allows the titular mudskipper to traverse levels in fresh ways. Despite excitement from retro gaming fans, the marketing approach for Rogue AI has attracted criticism.

Community members have voiced concerns over Gameware Europe’s heavy reliance on AI-generated media for promotional content.

On the publisher’s Facebook and official website, several posts and animations created via artificial intelligence have drawn criticism from long-time fans who fear that this trend could spill over into the development of the game itself.

In response to these concerns, Gameware Europe clarified on its Facebook page that the game’s production will not involve any AI-generated content, affirming to fans that only human creators will be behind the finished product. James Pond’s legacy dates back to the early 1990s, when the franchise established itself as a lighthearted platforming alternative to gaming icons like Sonic and Mario.

The second game in the series, Codename Robocod, was particularly well-received, earning critical acclaim for its creative level design and entertaining gameplay.

However, subsequent efforts to relaunch the series have faced challenges.

The 2011 mobile title James Pond in the Deathly Shallows, developed by HPN Associates, was universally panned and scored just 1 out of 10 from Destructoid, with reviewers decrying its quality and disconnect from the franchise legacy. A previous attempt in 2013 by Gameware Europe and Chris Sorrell to fund a new game via Kickstarter fell short, reaching only £16,000 of its £100,000 goal.

Despite these setbacks, the franchise has endured, and Gameware Europe is embracing modern digital platforms for the next chapter in James Pond’s history. Looking ahead, Gameware Europe has also teased additional surprises for series fans throughout the year, including a browser-based game titled James Pond: A Bit of A Stretch, which features its own AI-generated promotional material.

While the use of AI in marketing has stirred debate, the company insists that player experience remains at the forefront of Rogue AI’s development as it approaches its planned Q4 2025 release on PC, iOS, and Android.

Europe PC AI Classic Series platformer mobile James Pond Gameware Europe Chris Sorrell Commodore Amiga Sega Genesis Atari ST HPN Associates Destructoid James Pond Codename Robocod