Crash Bandicoot 5 Allegedly Canceled After Studio Went Indie

Crash Bandicoot fans were hit with disappointing news recently, as former Toys For Bob concept artist Nicholas Kole hinted at the shelving of Crash Bandicoot 5. Dive into the details of what Kole, a former developer of the game, shared about this unexpected turn of events.

Crash Bandicoot 5 Supposedly Shelved

‘Project Dragon’ Also Scrapped

The gaming community was abuzz when Nicholas Kole, a former concept artist at Toys For Bob, took to X (formerly Twitter) on July 12th to discuss his canceled project, "Project Dragon." This led to speculation from fans and industry insiders like Sonic comic writer Daniel Barnes, who thought it might be related to Spyro due to the project's name. Kole quickly dispelled these rumors, confirming that "Project Dragon" was a new IP developed with Phoenix Labs, not Spyro. However, he also dropped a bombshell about another beloved franchise.

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

The fan reaction was immediate and emotional, with many expressing their heartbreak and disappointment in the replies. Comments 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, reflecting the deep connection fans have with the series.

Toys For Bob, the studio behind Crash Bandicoot, made headlines earlier this year when it split from Activision Blizzard to become an independent entity. This move coincided with Activision Blizzard's acquisition by Microsoft. Despite their newfound independence, Toys For Bob has partnered with Microsoft Xbox to publish their first solo game, though details about this project 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, the franchise saw the release of the mobile endless runner Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! in 2021 and the online multiplayer game Crash Team Rumble in 2023. The latter concluded its live support in March with a final content update but remains playable on next-gen consoles.

With Toys For Bob now operating as an independent studio, there's renewed hope among fans that Crash Bandicoot 5 might still see the light of day. Only time will tell if this beloved series will return to delight fans once more, hopefully without keeping them waiting too long.