"Crash Bandicoot 5: Spyro Joins as Playable Character"

The gaming world was recently hit with the disappointing news that Crash Bandicoot 5, a highly anticipated sequel in the beloved franchise, has been canceled. This decision reportedly stems from Activision's strategic shift towards a live service model, prioritizing multiplayer games over single-player experiences. Dive deeper into the details of Crash Bandicoot 5's cancellation, its proposed features, and how this shift is affecting other franchises under Activision's umbrella.

Crash Bandicoot 5 Was Canceled Because of Live Service Games

Crash Bandicoot 4 Didn’t Do Well Enough for a Sequel

Liam Robertson, a gaming historian at DidYouKnowGaming, has shed light on the cancellation of Crash Bandicoot 5. The project, which was being developed by Toys for Bob—the studio behind the revival of the Crash Bandicoot series—was put on hold as Activision redirected resources to focus on live-service multiplayer games.

Toys for Bob had already started conceptualizing Crash Bandicoot 5 as a single-player 3D platformer and a direct follow-up to Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. The game was set to explore a new setting—a school for villainous children—and would have featured familiar antagonists from the series.

Concept art unveiled in the report showcased an exciting twist: Spyro, another iconic character revived by Toys for Bob, was set to join Crash as a playable character. The duo was meant to battle an interdimensional threat that posed a danger to both their worlds.

The first whispers of Crash Bandicoot 5's cancellation came from Nicholas Kole, a former concept artist at Toys for Bob, who hinted at the news on social media. Robertson's detailed report now confirms that the decision to cancel was influenced by Activision's focus on live-service games and the perceived underperformance of Crash Bandicoot 4.

Activision Shoots Down Pitches for Other Single-Player Sequels

Crash Bandicoot isn't the only franchise feeling the impact of Activision's new direction. Liam Robertson also revealed that a proposed sequel to the successful Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 remake, titled Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, was rejected. The studio behind the remakes, Vicarious Visions, was instead tasked with working on Activision's mainline titles like Call of Duty and Diablo.

Tony Hawk himself provided insights into the situation, confirming that a second set of remakes was planned but halted when Vicarious Visions was fully integrated into Activision. "That was the plan, even up until the release date of 1 and 2," Hawk shared. "We were doing 3 and 4, and then Vicarious got kind of absorbed, and then they were looking for other developers, and then it was over."

Hawk further explained that Activision tried to find another studio to take on the project but couldn't find a suitable replacement for Vicarious Visions. "The truth of it 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 from other studios, like, ‘What would you do with the [Tony Hawk Pro Skater] title?’ And they didn’t like anything they heard, and then that was it."

This shift in focus by Activision underscores a broader industry trend towards live-service models, leaving fans of single-player experiences hoping for a return to traditional gaming formats in the future.