Crash Bandicoot 5 Would've Had Spyro As Playable Character

A recent report has shed light on the unfortunate cancellation of Crash Bandicoot 5, a project that was in the works at Toys for Bob, the studio behind the successful revival of the Crash Bandicoot series. According to gaming historian Liam Robertson from DidYouKnowGaming, the decision to shelve Crash Bandicoot 5 was influenced by Activision's strategic pivot towards live service multiplayer games. This shift in focus has led to the reallocation of resources away from single-player titles like Crash Bandicoot 5, which was intended to be a direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.

The proposed Crash Bandicoot 5 was set to continue the series as a single-player 3D platformer, featuring a unique setting in a school for villainous children and bringing back familiar antagonists. Concept art from the project even hinted at an exciting crossover, with Spyro, another iconic character revived by Toys for Bob, joining Crash to combat an interdimensional threat affecting both their worlds. "Crash and Spyro were intended to be the two playable characters," Robertson disclosed, adding an intriguing layer to the game's potential.

The initial whispers of the sequel's cancellation emerged from Nicholas Kole, a former concept artist at Toys for Bob, who hinted at the news on social media. Robertson's report corroborates these rumors, suggesting that the decision was not solely based on the shift to live service games but also on the perceived underperformance of Crash Bandicoot 4.

Activision's pivot to live service models isn't limited to the Crash Bandicoot franchise. Another beloved series, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, faced a similar fate. Liam Robertson also reported that a pitch for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, a sequel to the well-received Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 remake, was turned down. Instead, Vicarious Visions, the studio responsible for the remakes, was redirected to focus on Activision's flagship franchises like Call of Duty and Diablo.

Tony Hawk himself provided insights into this shift, revealing that plans for remakes of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 were in place until Vicarious Visions was fully integrated into Activision. "That was the plan, even up until the release date of 1 and 2," Hawk explained. "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 clarified that Activision sought other developers for the project but ultimately found no 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."