Sly Cooper Cameo Confirmed in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Could Sly's Character Design Be Hiding A Secret?

Days after Insomniac Games Tweeted a teaser hinting at a Sly Cooper cameo in their upcoming release, Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart, IGN coverage of the game exposed some pretty sly easter eggs. As IGN reports "​The RYNO 8 fires portals that warp objects from other dimensions for complete destruction. The majority of these objects disappear in a flash, but if you’re quick with that photo mode, you can get a detailed look at all the familiar characters, vehicles, and relics that appear." The RYNO 8 is a featured weapon in the forthcoming Ratchet title.

While to many the cameo/easter egg is refreshing as its the first time that our favorite raccoon has made an appearance in a new game in over 8 years, to others, its just another all-too-familiar reminder that the series seems to be relegated only to nostalgic gaming references of yesteryear. 

However, there may be a glimmer of hope yet, if you'll allow me to cook up one of my inFamous (pun intended) conspiracy theories. As @nocontextsly pointed out on Twitter, "Sly's model looks like a modified version of his Sly 3 model (with two leg pouches). Bentley and the van look identical to the original models." My first thought was that they opted to clean up Sly's model a bit to fit a modern game, and then ran out of time and left Bentley's un-altered. However, there is potentially another, more positive explanation. 

This exact model of Sly has not been used in anything previously. Yes, it's a cleaned up version of the Sly 3 character model. But that cane is WHACK. It doesn't match the Sly 3 model or the Sly 4 model. AND the shaft of the cane isn't its typical brown – the entire cane is yellow. Two leg-packs – while crazy – has never been seen before. Also, if you look closely at Sly's left-hand glove, you can see yellow stitching that has never appeared in past models. (Check out the IGN article to see the screenshots in HD)

It seems possible that somebody (not naming any specific studios) could be working on a Sly Cooper reboot or a new installment, and this is the new, in-progress Sly Cooper model, but they haven't gotten to revamping Bentley or the Cooper Van. A LOT of people complained about Sanzaru's interpretations of the character models, so it seems entirely plausible that a new studio could be backtracking to the golden era of the series.

Obviously this is all conjecture and I could be stretching what few details we have, but its always a possibility, even if its wishful thinking. ​What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @SlyCooperNet