Toys for Bob, the developer known for games such as Spyro the Reignited Trilogy and multiple Crash Bandicoot titles, has announced that they are becoming an independent studio. The move unshackles the developer from Xbox and Activision, meaning their talents may now regularly be aimed at much more than supporting work on the annual Call of Duty entries.
Toys for Bob took to their blog to announce the shift to indie status, a decision the team feels brings them back to their roots.
We’re thrilled to announce that Toys for Bob is spinning off as an independent game development studio!
Over the years, we’ve inspired love, joy, and laughter for the inner child in all gamers. We pioneered new IP and hardware technologies in Skylanders. We raised the bar for best-in-class remasters in Spyro Reignited Trilogy. We’ve taken Crash Bandicoot to innovative, critically acclaimed new heights.
With the same enthusiasm and passion, we believe that now is the time to take the studio and our future games to the next level. This opportunity allows us to return to our roots of being a small and nimble studio.
The blog posts goes on to say that the newly independent studio is currently discussing a partnership with Microsoft. It seems the connection between the two has not been severed completely and that both parties are happy with the opportunities borne from this transition.
Of course, Toys for Bob’s news has left many wondering about the long-rumored, but never confirmed existence of a new Spyro game. In December, the developer teased that they were showing off their unannounced Unreal Engine 5 project and the internet immediately erupted into claims that the blurred, purple-tinted screen was most definitely Spyro 4.
There’s no guarantee that it was the return of our beloved dragon, but the question remains if a partnership between an independent Toys for Bob and Xbox could foster such a project. For now, we’ll have to wait and see what lies on the horizon — or as Toys for Bob puts it, “keep your horns on and your eyes out for more news.” Way to tease us.
