Crash 5 rumours give a ‘heartbreaking’ update on the franchise’s future
While the platformer genre is largely dominated by the whale that is Super Mario, there's a lot to be said about the consistency of Crash Bandicoot. Naughty Dog's 1996 original seems like a distant memory, but with the series returning to form with 2020's Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, we were excited to see where it goes next.
Toys for Bob took the reins of the Crashverse for It's About Time, but after its chart-topping success, many were confused about why the studio moved forward with the multiplayer Crash Team Rumble instead of another mainline game. Sadly, a new update has cast doubt over Crash's return.
Crash 5 has reportedly been cancelled
Illustrator Nicholas Kole has confirmed that a canned "Project Dragon" won't see the light of day. Before you're worried that this is the long-rumoured Spyro reboot, Kole claims that "Project Dragon' was a wholly new IP and that Spyro's future could be safe.
The interesting bit is Kole saying that we'll one day hear about the Crash 5 that never was, suggesting it's "gonna break hearts." The idea is that Crash 5 has also kicked the bucket alongside this unannounced IP. As Kole was a Character Designer who worked on Crash 4, meaning this is far closer to an official source than just some pinch of salt rumour.
It's no secret that Toys for Bob has been through a bit of a tough time, being shipped over as a support studio to Call of Duty: Warzone, pulling the plug on Crash Team Rumble after just nine months, and then being hit by shutdown scares. Instead, Toys for Bob struck out and became an independent studio away from Activision.
If Crash 5 is no more, it's unclear what's happened. Still, there are sure to be those who will blame Microsoft's Activision Blizzard King acquisition for the game's potential loss. The $68.7 billion deal has clearly put the emphasis on Call of Duty, and while Xbox players are starting to see the benefits, it's come at a cost.
With Crash being such an icon of gaming, it's hard to imagine a world where we don't see the maniacal marsupial again. Even if Toys for Bob is putting Crash 5 out to pasture, someone else can hopefully pick up the name and spin back into action soon.
