Toys for Bob, the California-based game development studio famous for the Skylanders, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro franchises, has officially regained its independence after splitting from Activision earlier this year. The studio, founded in 1989, was acquired by Activision in 2005 before becoming part of Microsoft’s gaming empire through the tech giant’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
In a recent update on social media, Toys for Bob announced its new independent status, updating its bio to read “We are an independent game development studio and have been making epic entertainment since 1989.” This move follows months of uncertainty after the developer shared plans to leave Activision and part ways with the Xbox team back in March.
However, Toys for Bob won’t be going it entirely alone. The studio has already confirmed an exciting new partnership with Xbox to publish its next as-yet-unannounced game project. “We’re excited to announce that we’ll be partnering with Xbox to publish our next new game,” the studio stated, though cautioning that the game is still “very early” in development.
We're excited to announce that we'll be partnering with @Xbox to publish our next new game. We're still very early in development, so you might not hear from us for a bit – but know that we're working hard on an experience we're so sooo inspired about! Can't wait to share more 💜 pic.twitter.com/6EqrQbabpv
— Toys For Bob (@ToysForBob) May 31, 2024
While concrete details are scarce, this teaser lines up with recent rumors suggesting Toys for Bob could be working on a new entry in the beloved Spyro the Dragon series. A mysterious new logo was spotted on the studio’s official website, fanning speculation about a potential Spyro revival.
Toys for Bob has an extensive history creating iconic games. Beyond pioneering the Skylanders toys-to-life franchise, the studio developed 2020’s critically acclaimed Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and the celebrated 2018 Spyro Reignited Trilogy remaster.
What platforms this new Xbox-published project will launch on remains unclear. Microsoft has stated that exclusivity decisions for games will be made on a case-by-case basis, having already secured a 10-year deal to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms and releasing titles like Grounded and Pentiment on the Switch.
As Toys for Bob embarks on this newfound independence, partnering with Xbox’s deep resources and publishing power could provide the studio with exciting new opportunities. Fans of the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro series, along with Toys for Bob’s iconic past works, have good reason to be eagerly awaiting more details on this mysterious next gaming adventure.
