"Crash Bandicoot 5 Canceled: Studio Goes Indie"

Crash Bandicoot fans were dealt a disappointing blow as former Toys For Bob concept artist, Nicholas Kole, hinted at the shelving of Crash Bandicoot 5. Dive into the details of what Kole revealed about the project that never came to be.

Crash Bandicoot 5 Supposedly Shelved

‘Project Dragon’ Also Scrapped

The gaming community was abuzz when Nicholas Kole, a former concept artist at Toys For Bob, shared insights on X (formerly Twitter) about a canceled project known as "Project Dragon." This sparked speculation from fans and industry insiders, such as Sonic comic writer Daniel Barnes, who initially thought it might be related to Spyro due to the name. Kole quickly set the record straight, confirming that "Project Dragon" was a new IP in collaboration with Phoenix Labs, not Spyro. However, he also dropped a bombshell about another beloved franchise.

"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, hinting at the unfortunate fate of Crash Bandicoot 5.

The revelation sent ripples through the fanbase, with many expressing their heartbreak and disappointment in the comments. Reactions like, "Hearing any sort of cancelled project news breaks my heart, but hearing about a cancelled Crash in particular stings harder than anything.." were common, echoing Kole's sentiment.

Toys For Bob, the studio behind the Crash Bandicoot series, parted ways with Activision Blizzard earlier this year to become an independent entity. This split occurred around the same time Activision Blizzard was acquired by Microsoft. Despite their newfound independence, Toys For Bob has struck a deal with Microsoft Xbox to publish their first standalone game, though details about this project remain under wraps.

The most recent mainline Crash Bandicoot game, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, launched in 2020 and achieved impressive sales, surpassing five million copies. Following this success, the franchise saw the release of the mobile game Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! in 2021 and the online multiplayer title Crash Team Rumble in 2023. The latter's live support concluded in March of the same year with a final content update, but it remains playable on next-gen consoles.

With Toys For Bob now operating as an independent studio, the future of Crash Bandicoot 5 hangs in the balance. Fans are hopeful that the series will see a revival sooner rather than later, given the studio's newfound creative freedom.