Crash Bandicoot 5 Reportedly Canceled Post-Studio's Indie Shift

Crash Bandicoot 5 was reportedly shelved, according to hints from Toys For Bob's former concept artist. Dive deeper into what Nicholas Kole, a former developer of the game, had to say about this lost opportunity!

Crash Bandicoot 5 Supposedly Shelved

‘Project Dragon’ Also Scrapped

The gaming community might have missed out on a new Crash Bandicoot adventure, as hinted by former Toys For Bob concept artist Nicholas Kole in a July 12th X (formerly Twitter) post. Initially discussing his other canceled project, "Project Dragon," Kole led to speculation from fans like Sonic comic writer Daniel Barnes, who thought it might be related to Spyro due to its name. Kole quickly clarified that "Project Dragon" was not Spyro-related but a new IP with Phoenix Labs. He also took this moment to mention the shelved Crash Bandicoot 5, suggesting it met a similar fate.

"It is not Spyro, but some day folks will hear about the Crash 5 that never was and it’s gonna break hearts," he commented.

The fan reaction in the replies was exactly as Kole had anticipated—filled with disappointment and shock. Responses like "Hearing any sort of cancelled project news breaks my heart, but hearing about a cancelled Crash in particular stings harder than anything.." were common.

Toys For Bob, the developer behind Crash Bandicoot, parted ways with Activision Blizzard earlier this year to become an independent studio. This split occurred amidst Activision Blizzard's acquisition by Microsoft, a tech giant. Despite this, Toys For Bob is collaborating with Microsoft Xbox for the publishing of their first independent project, though details about this new game remain under wraps.

The most recent mainline Crash Bandicoot game, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, was released in 2020 and sold over five million copies. Following this success, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! launched in 2021 as an endless mobile runner, and Crash Team Rumble came out in 2023 as an online multiplayer experience. The latter's live support ended in March with a final content update, but the game remains playable on new-generation consoles.

With Toys For Bob now operating as an independent studio, there's renewed hope among fans that Crash Bandicoot 5 could eventually see the light of day. Only time will tell if eager fans will have to wait a few more years or if the beloved marsupial will make a triumphant return sooner.