Crash Bandicoot 5 Canceled: Studio Goes Indie

Crash Bandicoot 5 was reportedly shelved, according to hints dropped by Toys For Bob's former concept artist, Nicholas Kole. Dive in to discover 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 on the brink of experiencing a new installment in the Crash Bandicoot series, but it seems that fate had other plans. Nicholas Kole, a former concept artist at Toys For Bob, hinted at the shelving of Crash Bandicoot 5 in an X (formerly Twitter) post on July 12th. While discussing another canceled project, "Project Dragon," which sparked speculation from Sonic comic writer Daniel Barnes that it might be related to Spyro due to its name, Kole quickly set the record straight. He clarified that "Project Dragon" was not Spyro but a brand-new IP developed with Phoenix Labs. However, he also seized the moment to mention the unfulfilled promise of Crash Bandicoot 5, suggesting it 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 poignantly.

The fanbase's reaction in the comments was exactly as Kole had anticipated—heartbroken and shocked. Responses like "Hearing any sort of cancelled project news breaks my heart, but hearing about a cancelled Crash in particular stings harder than anything.." flooded the thread, reflecting the deep disappointment felt by many.

Toys For Bob, the studio behind Crash Bandicoot, parted ways with Activision Blizzard earlier this year to embrace independence, while Activision Blizzard itself was acquired by Microsoft. Despite this shift, Toys For Bob has entered into a partnership with Microsoft Xbox to publish their upcoming solo project. As of now, details about this new venture remain under wraps.

The most recent mainline Crash Bandicoot game, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, hit the shelves in 2020 and sold over five million copies. Following this success, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! launched as an endless mobile runner in 2021, and Crash Team Rumble debuted as an online multiplayer game in 2023. Unfortunately, Crash Team Rumble's live support concluded last March with its final content update, though the game remains playable on next-gen consoles.

With Toys For Bob now enjoying the freedom of being an independent studio, fans are left wondering if Crash Bandicoot 5 will ever make a comeback. Only time will reveal if this beloved series will see another installment, keeping fans eagerly anticipating what's next.