Ratchet & Clank: Clone Home — Cancelled Mobile Game Finally Unearthed After 19 Years

After nearly two decades in obscurity, Ratchet & Clank: Clone Home—a once-cancelled mobile game—has finally become accessible to fans, reigniting interest in Insomniac Games’ beloved franchise and game preservation efforts.

Originally conceived in 2006 as a Java-based platformer by Sony’s mobile division, Clone Home was intended to follow up on the successful Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile title and deliver a robust 2D adventure experience for early mobile gaming platforms. During its original announcement, Clone Home was promoted as a spiritual successor to Going Mobile, with enhanced weapon variety and improved graphical elements.

As reported by IGN at the time, it aimed to surpass its predecessor by introducing "more weapons than Going Mobile" and implementing "notable graphical tweaks." The game’s release was scheduled for September 2006; however, for reasons never officially disclosed, the project was abruptly cancelled.

Persistent rumors suggested an accidental, brief release in Canada, but it quickly vanished from availability. The rediscovery of Clone Home emerges as a testament to the dedication of the Ratchet & Clank fanbase and the wider video game preservation community.

The Golden Bolt—a well-known Ratchet & Clank analyst and video essayist on YouTube—broke the news of the game’s recovery, crediting the combined efforts of community members SGOC, SuperSmasherEmily, and others who followed up on a lead from a 2019 video discussing Going Mobile.

Over several years, this group collaborated to locate, extract, and finally make Clone Home available online, culminating in a successful archive upload on archive.org.

Furthermore, SuperSmasherEmily showcased the world’s first complete playthrough online, offering a rare glimpse into what could have been the franchise’s second mobile adventure. When contacted about the discovery, The Golden Bolt stated that he reached out to staff at Sony and Insomniac Games regarding Clone Home's release, yet received no on-the-record comments.

Nonetheless, he conveyed that, based on private interactions, there is a palpable sense of excitement internally around the game’s belated return and its significance to Ratchet & Clank’s legacy. This release marks an important moment for video game preservation, illustrating the value of community-driven initiatives in resurrecting lost media.

Ratchet & Clank: Clone Home offers both nostalgic fans and newcomers the opportunity to experience a previously inaccessible chapter of one of Insomniac Games’ most celebrated series, highlighting the enduring impact of dedicated archival efforts in the gaming industry.

mobile Mobile Insomniac Games Ratchet & Clank Clone Home Sony Mobile The Golden Bolt GamesRadar IGN SuperSmasherEmily archive.org SGOC