Crash Bandicoot 5 Supposedly Shelved
The gaming community was rocked by revelations from former Toys For Bob concept artist Nicholas Kole, who hinted at the cancellation of Crash Bandicoot 5. In an X (formerly Twitter) post dated July 12th, Kole discussed his canceled project "Project Dragon," leading to speculation by fans and industry insiders, such as Sonic comic writer Daniel Barnes, who thought it might be related to Spyro due to its title. Kole clarified that "Project Dragon" was actually a new IP developed with Phoenix Labs, not Spyro. However, he also dropped a bombshell about Crash Bandicoot, suggesting that a fifth installment in the iconic series 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," Kole stated, leaving fans devastated. The reactions in the replies to his post were filled with disappointment and shock, with comments like "Hearing any sort of cancelled project news breaks my heart, but hearing about a cancelled Crash in particular stings harder than anything.."
Toys For Bob, the developer behind the Crash Bandicoot series, made headlines earlier this year when it parted ways with Activision Blizzard to become an independent studio. This move came amidst the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft, a tech giant. Despite going indie, Toys For Bob has partnered with Microsoft Xbox to publish their next standalone game, though details about this project remain under wraps.
The last major Crash Bandicoot game, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, released in 2020, achieved impressive sales with over five million copies sold. Subsequent releases included the mobile endless runner Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! in 2021 and the online multiplayer title Crash Team Rumble in 2023. The latter ceased live support in March with its final content update, yet it remains playable on next-gen consoles.
With Toys For Bob now operating as an independent entity, there's renewed hope among fans that Crash Bandicoot 5 might still see the light of day. The studio's newfound freedom could pave the way for revisiting beloved franchises or exploring new creative ventures. Only time will tell if eager fans will have to wait longer or if their wishes for a new Crash adventure will be fulfilled.
