Recently, former Activision developer Toys For Bob announced that it had spun off and become independent from Activision and new parent company Microsoft. This is the first time in several decades that the 35-year-old developer will be operating independently, giving them the freedom to work with whomever they so desire. Surely, this is a relief for the veteran studio, who after shipping 2020’sCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, largely served as a support developer for theCall of Dutyfranchise before facing layoffs and a studio closurefollowing Microsoft’s buyout of Activision.
Even still, while the developer is now free to shop its services around to any publisher it pleases, the team will not be going too far from its previous home base. Toys For Bob confirmed following its spinoff that its first proper “independent” game will nevertheless be developed in partnership with Microsoft, as the Xbox heads will handle the publishing duties. Naturally, it’s hard to predict whether the game will be based around an original IP or an existing one, but I truly hope that Microsoft will give Toys For Bob the opportunity to make a brand-newSpyro the Dragongame.Microsoft has been hoping to bring back Activision franchisesthat aren’t Call of Duty, and Spyro would be a great place to start.
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Toys For Bob Has Revived Spyro More Than Once
Should Microsoft (and, by proxy, Activision) decide that they want to create a new Spyro game, Toys For Bob should be the first developer they call for the jump. After all, it was Toys For Bob who revived the franchise with theSpyro Reignited Trilogyin 2018, a remake collection featuring brand-new versions of the original three PlayStation Spyro the Dragon games. Not only was this release a major commercial success that sold over 10 million copies, but it was a great shot in the arm that the Spyro franchise desperately needed after so many underwhelming entries.
For some context, following the original trilogy’s release on the PlayStation, Spyro went through a downward spiral throughout the 2000s. While the franchise continued to receive games fairly consistently, most (if not all) of them ran the gamut of mediocrity to atrocity. The series was so lost that even the original creators at Insomniac Games voiced their displeasure, with CEO Ted Price criticizing several titles and comparing Spyro to “an abused stepchild.” Not even a reboot in the form of The Legend of Spyro could jolt the franchise back into form.
Interestingly enough, though, it was Toys For Bob who brought Spyro back to popularity in earnest, but not with the Reignited Trilogy. Instead, Toys For Bob kept Spyro popular through the early 2010s thanks to theSkylandersseries, whichbecame wildly popular for Activisionand kept the attention on Spyro, even if his somewhat tacked-on inclusion was controversial among fans. With the Reignited Trilogy, though, Toys For Bob showed how much it loved and appreciated the Spyro series, finally giving Spyro fans something to be excited about. Furthermore, with Activision also reviving fellow PlayStation mascotCrash Bandicoot, it looked like we were entering a new renaissance for PlayStation-era platformers.
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How Did Reignited Trilogy Not Get A Follow-Up?
However, whereSpyro’s good friendly rival Crash Bandicoothas continued to receive new titles in the years since his own re-release collection - 2017’s Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - Spyro has been silent since the Reignited Trilogy. Sure, he’s seen cameos in a few Crash Bandicoot titles, but there has not been another Spyro game since 2018, nor has there been any official announcement that anyone over at Activision is working on one. As previously mentioned, Toys For Bob followed up on the Reignited Trilogy by working on Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, then provided support work on the last few Call of Duty titles.
Given the all-around success of the Reignited Trilogy - as well as Toys For Bob’s clear love of the series - it’s surprising that Activision has moved so far away from making another Spyro game. Of course, there have been some light hints at another title, as an art book for Crash Bandicoot 4 did have a small “Spyro 4” tease written in one piece of concept art. Still, this is the furthest that Toys For Bob or Activision has acknowledged a brand-new Spyro game, and no other official announcements have come. This most certainly hasn’t stopped fans from speculating, though, and it seems that speculation is starting to reach a fever pitch.
Almost as soon as the news of this collaboration came to me, reports started to claim that the new title would be a new entry in the Spyro series. The company’s changes to its website, which now features a purple tiki, are rumored to be based on Spyro’s purple color scheme, as well as the tikis Spyro meets in Spyro: Year of the Dragon. Furthermore, when Toys For Bob gave the news of their independence, they warned fans to “keep their horns on” in anticipation of their next game which, while it could’ve been a cute little nod, could also have been a sign that the developer’s mysterious project is in the Spyro series.
Whether it is or isn’t, though, the Spyro franchise is very much deserving of a new entry, and who better to handle it than the developer who so excellently revived the series back in 2018? This is a developer with a longstanding reputation within the world of Spyro, and it’s a team that clearly loves the series and has the capability to do something truly special with it. Furthermore, even with the recent jump into independent work, the decision to continue working with Microsoft on this new project means they may still be able to use the Spyro license on the upcoming project. As long as it’s not a major hurdle to jump through for Microsoft or Activision, it would be fantastic to see Toys For Bob handle a brand-new Spyro game.
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