It’s been another wild week for the video game industry, and it looks like we’re not done yet. After massive layoffs at companies like PlayStation and Electronic Arts, we now separate developers from their ownership groups.
In addition to this, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro developer Toys for Bob has now announced that it is leaving the Activision and Xbox team to become an independent studio. It follows news of the closure of the facility, which reportedly affects 86 employees, following massive Microsoft layoffs.
In a message on the official website, company executives Paul Yan and Avery Lodato revealed that Toys for Bob is already in the “early days” of developing the next new game, but they can’t make any announcements just yet.
It noted how both Activision and Microsoft are “extremely supportive” of the decision and plans to “explore a possible partnership with Microsoft” in the future, and believes it will continue to work “closely” with both teams. Here is the full message:
We’re excited to announce that Bob’s is spinning for toys an independent game development studio!
Over the years we have inspired love, joy and laughter for the inner child in all players. We pioneered new IP and hardware technologies in Skylanders. We’ve raised the bar for best-in-class remasters in Spyro Reignited Trilogy. We’ve taken Crash Bandicoot to innovative, critically acclaimed new heights.
We believe with the same enthusiasm and passion 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 agile studio.
To make this news even more exciting, we are exploring a possible partnership between our new studio and Microsoft. We’re in the early days of developing our next new game, and while we’re far from making any announcements, our team is excited to develop new stories, new characters, and a new gameplay experience.
Our friends at Activision and Microsoft have been extremely supportive of our new direction, and we’re sure we’ll continue to work closely together as part of our future.
So, keep your horns and eyes peeled for more news. Thanks to our community of players who always support us in our journey. We can’t wait to share updates on our new adventure as an indie studio! Let’s talk soon!
He has been working on Toys for Bob for the past year Crash Team Rumble and previously worked on games such as Crash Bandicoot 4 and Spyro Reignited Trilogy.
In other recent industry developments, Saber Interactive is reportedly leaving Embracer, and it looks like Gearbox Software may be following suit.