Activision Cancels Crash Bandicoot 5: The Surprising Spyro Crossover That Almost Was

A fascinating new documentary from former Activision developer Toys for Bob reveals that a potential Crash Bandicoot 5, featuring a crossover with Spyro the Dragon, was scrapped by Activision.

Produced by Liam Robertson for Did You Know Gaming?, the video delves into the studio’s journey from Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time to its recent projects. One of the standout revelations is that Crash Bandicoot 4 began life as an asymmetrical multiplayer game with the codename "Lava," later known as Wumpa League. The development team initially worked on single-player tutorial levels for Wumpa League but eventually shifted focus to crafting a single-player adventure. The game was completed in a remarkable 18 months, with intermittent work on Wumpa League.

Toys for Bob had hoped to release Wumpa League as a free update to Crash Bandicoot 4 about a year after its launch, incorporating microtransactions. In 2020, the studio pitched a concept for Crash Bandicoot 5 that would have been a direct continuation of It’s About Time. This sequel planned to revisit elements from Crash Twinsanity, such as the Academy of Evil, and feature Uka Uka as the central antagonist. It also aimed to draw inspiration from Psychonauts, with Crash exploring the minds of villains like Neo Cortex, Pinstripe, and Tiny Tiger.

The most intriguing aspect of this pitch was its crossover with Spyro the Dragon. In this concept, Uka Uka would travel to Spyro’s universe via a portal, corrupting some of its Dragon Elders. Crash and Coco would then venture into this new dimension, team up with Spyro, and work together to thwart Uka Uka. Unfortunately, despite the exciting premise, this AAA Crash and Spyro crossover never advanced beyond pre-production. Crash Bandicoot 4 did not meet Activision’s high sales expectations, which were set in line with the success of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.

Crash Bandicoot 5 was officially canceled in November 2020. Around the same period, the development of Wumpa League was also halted. Toys for Bob attempted to pivot the project in various directions, including a multiplayer platformer featuring World of Warcraft characters, which Blizzard rejected, and a new IP called Monster Mechs, which Activision also declined. Subsequently, Toys for Bob was reassigned to support Call of Duty: Warzone and Overwatch 2, leading to significant staff changes within the studio.

By the end of 2021, Toys for Bob revived Project Lava, which evolved into Crash Team Rumble. This game was a scaled-down version of the original concept, reusing assets from Crash Bandicoot 4 and relying heavily on outsourcing. Spyro made an appearance in the third season of Crash Team Rumble, with banners featuring concept art from the canceled Crash Bandicoot 5. Following Microsoft layoffs in January 2024, which affected its newly acquired Activision studios, a fourth season of Crash Team Rumble and a new IP using Unreal Engine 5 were also canceled. In response, Toys for Bob’s leadership negotiated to become an independent studio with a new game to be published by Xbox, marking the end of this documentary’s narrative.

For those interested in a deeper dive into Toys for Bob's recent history, the full video offers extensive details about the studio's endeavors over the past decade.