Crash Bandicoot 5 Would've Had Spyro As Playable Character

Activision's shift towards live-service games reportedly led to the cancellation of Crash Bandicoot 5, a project in development at Toys for Bob. This article delves into the reasons behind the cancellation and explores Activision's broader strategy.

Crash Bandicoot 5: A Live-Service Casualty?

Sequel Shelved Due to Focus on Live Service

Gaming historian Liam Robertson reveals that Crash Bandicoot 5, a planned single-player 3D platformer and direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, was in early development at Toys for Bob. However, the project was scrapped as Activision prioritized its live-service initiatives, reallocating resources accordingly.

Robertson's report details the game's early conceptualization, including story outlines and concept art. The game was set in a villainous children's school and featured returning antagonists.

Remarkably, concept art showcased Spyro, another PlayStation icon revitalized by Toys for Bob, as a playable character alongside Crash, battling an interdimensional threat. Robertson confirms, "Crash and Spyro were intended to be the two playable characters."

Former Toys for Bob concept artist Nicholas Kole's earlier hints on X regarding a cancelled sequel now find context within Robertson's comprehensive report. Activision's decision seems driven by the perceived underperformance of Crash Bandicoot 4 and the company's overall pivot to live-service games.

Other Single-Player Projects Affected

Activision's strategic shift impacted other franchises. Robertson also reports the rejection of a pitch for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, a sequel to the successful Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 remake. Vicarious Visions, the studio behind the remakes, was subsequently absorbed into Activision and redirected to work on Call of Duty and Diablo.

Tony Hawk himself corroborates this in Robertson's report, stating that 3+4 was planned until Vicarious Visions' integration into Activision. He explains that Activision sought alternative studios to develop the sequel but ultimately deemed the pitches unsatisfactory.

Hawk concludes, "The truth is, [Activision] were trying to find somebody to do 3 and 4, but they just didn’t really trust anyone the way they did Vicarious. So they took other pitches...and they didn’t like anything they heard, and then that was it."